


La Balance du Choix et de la Chance

by lexiebuns



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Character Development, Coming of Age, Developing Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Long Shot, Loss, Miraculous History, Miraculous Holders, Multi, Other, Slow Burn, miraculous lore, new powers, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-12-27 05:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12074799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiebuns/pseuds/lexiebuns
Summary: After being tossed into their roles as superheroes a little over a year ago, Ladybug and Chat Noir felt confident with the duties the job entailed. However, their routine cycle is unexpectedly shattered after facing Volpina--who nearly overpowered the duo, bringing Hawkmoth one step closer to achieving his goals and their sources of power.The heroes now realize Hawkmoth is a bigger threat than previously anticipated--a man willing to go to great lengths in order to succeed. Both Marinette and Adrien are emotionally shaken after seeing each other in a near-death experiences. The potential risks of their duties are now more apparent than ever, with every choice and action resulting in major consequences.But one thing is certainly clear; navigating the ever expanding secrets and powers of the miraculous will be the duo's biggest challenge yet.





	1. The Catalyst

  

Eyes wide, he watched. 

Everything seemed to slow after she screamed. Reached out.

He watched as fear began to well up inside her. 

All breath escaping her, compressed by an invisible weight. 

She called out his name—

Any plan or rational thought had completely departed her mind. 

He called to her.

No response.

The pace of his heartbeat quickened.

She tuned the world out.

His throat burned. He yelled again. 

Unable to move and paralyzed with fear.

Her eyes glossed over. It was too late. Her mind was too far gone.

Frozen. Her gaze unwavering. Static because of the sight above them. 

She let go. Her hands flew up to her jewelry.

A scream ripped through him.

His body lurched toward her.

 

The world seemed to shatter around him.

 

 

➸

 

 

The wind swirled and whipped against the top of Paris’ most notable landmark. Adrien’s gaze slowly moved back and forth, tracing the details of the city skyline.A blanket of gray shrouded the eighth district—a signal of the storm soon to come. The boy’s concentration momentarily wavered, as he picked up a pair of voices to his left.

Adrien only caught fragments of the conversation an earshot away from him. Even so, the likelihood of being able to recall it later was low. His senses were hazy. Any sort of feeling…evaded him at this point in time.

His gaze flickered toward the sound. Ladybug stood only a few feet away, with the girl who had just been akumatized. His partner’s stance looked somewhat off. Arms crossed and her eyes cast downward—as if she was unsure of herself. Never before was Ladybug personally responsible for someone's akumatization—and remorse was evidently eating her up. 

Her fingers fidgeted as she chewed the inside of her cheek, mulling over what should be said next.

A few moments later she murmured a half-hearted apology.

The response she received turned out to be very different than the one she expected. Ladybug’s expression slowly transitioned from guilt to surprise, as Lila sneered and quickly dismissed her. The heroine could only gawk, as the girl stood up and promptly descended with the tower’s elevator. 

A few minutes went by before Adrien became aware of the newfound silence. His gaze returned back to his partner, who appeared just as vacant as he felt. Adrien looked away again and inhaled gently. He wanted to say something to her— _anything_ —but all he could do was sit and stare blankly at the ground in front of him.

With a sigh, his eyes closed. There was no point in avoiding what occupied his mind anymore. 

_She almost died._

The sentence was so…short…it was almost comical. Three simple words, four syllables. Lasting about the same amount of time the event itself would have.

His mind stopped processing moments before the final fight even began. Now that it was over, now that the adrenaline dissipated, the numbness was beginning to wear off. The intense flood of emotions caused him to grit his teeth. The sensation felt similar to instances where sudden blood flow overwhelmingly returned to limbs with lost circulation. The pictures of what just happened played on repeat in his head, now with the added pleasure of the emotions attached to them.

Just a few minutes prior to his partner almost fell to her death. Not once, had he entertained it as a possibility—the very idea of what could have happened made him nauseous. Her life was put at risk only because of—what? An illusion of himself? His partner nearly gave up her powers, fallen three hundred meters, snapped her neck, and died for the most senseless reason—hell it could not even be considered a reason.

She would have died for nothing. 

And that fact _enraged_ him. 

Utterly and completely.

— _But it also terrified him_.

Wasn’t it all supposed to be easy? A conflict would appear, they would come to solve it, and walk away unscathed. Any and all damage could be undone with a simple flick of a yoyo—as if it never happened. Nothing was supposed to be permanent. There were no real consequences. It was physically strenuous of course…but his role supposedly ended when the suit came off.

He was slowly realizing what their reality actually entailed.

Ladybug’s voice suddenly halted his train of thought. 

“I should check to make sure Adrien is ok.” It wasn’t even a question. The statement wasn’t directed at him either, nor was she looking for a response. She received it nevertheless.

_“He’s fine._ ” Adrien snapped irritably. It didn’t seem to register with her. Naturally, after the whole ordeal, she was just as distracted as he was. Perhaps, a different approach to the conversation was necessary, she could only dodge it for so long. 

Adrien shifted back toward the heroine, trying to read or catch any of her emotional cues. Ladybug was adamant about keeping them in check, but whatever concerned her at the moment was slowly slipping through. Her eyes were bleak, and she appeared to be just as unsettled as he.

“Ladybug?” he peered at her more closely.

No response. With a sigh he stood up and moved in her direction.

“We need to talk about this.” he attempted again.

Adrien was met once more with silence. Never had she disregarded him like this before. On the other hand, he was never this brash or flippant either…The situation seemed to make them both act out of character. 

His partner looked down the Eiffel Tower, her gaze fixated. He cleared his throat, but before Adrien could say another word, she had already dove off its edge and cast her yoyo. 

He was left with nothing but silence. Movement of any sort was the last thing he wanted right now. But any wishes had to be set aside at this point. He took a long breath and sprinted.

As always, following suit. 

 

  

➸ 

 

 

Marinette’s movements were swift and calculated. Her role and the duties it entailed were second nature now, however the events of the day managed to surprise her completely. A reminder of what fear felt like. Luckily she had the ability to rely on instinct—it seemed to be the only part of her intact. 

The only word that came to mind was “fractured”. It was as if she could break apart into thousands of pieces at any moment. The amount of emotional trauma Volpina—no— _Lila_ inflicted on her was leagues beyond anything she had ever experienced before. No problem, no nuisance, no villain was able to evoke something so overwhelming, all grasp on emotion was lost to Marinette. Everything was crashing together and she could barely make way through the flurry of it all.

Marinette initially pitied Lila. The master of illusions. She concocted lie after lie in order to connect with people, but they easily were undone once spotted. It was no surprise the akuma amplified this trait. She was able to generate lifeless reproductions—only realistic in appearance. Images without the beauty, the faults and the complexities of reality. 

They had no physical power—the real effect was in the emotions they elicited. She now realized that was Lila’s true power; the ability to draw out emotional weaknesses, to exploit and play with them. She was a greater threat than any type of physical danger. The body can easily be broken. Easily broken, but in turn, easily mended. We’ve adapted to survive with its impairments. The mind however is stronger, more powerful than the body—which in turn makes its loss considerably more damaging. It doesn’t merely sustain life—it forms the makeup of our selves. When broken, it isn't easily pieced back together—and it will never be exactly the same as before.

That indeed was the true power of Volpina. But as with everything else, she was still a farce. The shadow of whoever was really in control. She was a simple extension of a greater evil. Illusion or not, Volpina managed to have a grave effect. Therefore it was logical to assume the real source was infinitely more dangerous. The butterfly miraculous user was the true master of manipulating the mind and its emotions. Now the thought of actually facing their foe chilled Marinette to the bone. 

Hawkmoth had finally achieved his goal in capturing her fear.

Marinette latched the line of her yoyo onto the roof of the Agreste mansion and proceeded to dive through the window of Adrien’s bedroom. She landed with an audible ‘thump’ onto the floor, and slid a few meters due to the force at which she entered. She had been in his room a few times before—granted never as a civilian—but the vastness of it all still felt daunting. 

She stood still and quietly surveyed the room. It was unsettlingly empty. 

Her eyes fluttered closed. Marinette quietly inhaled, then listened for noise or any subtle movements. The shower could be audibly heard in the room next door…everything else… was eerily still. Maybe it was a good thing…but the knots in her stomach made her feel otherwise. 

The spotted heroine opened her eyes once more and slowly exhaled. There was a pause, then with baited breath she called out to him.

“—Adrien?”

 

The call was met by silence.

 

“ …It’s…Ladybug.”

Marinette was surprised by the shakiness of her voice—she wasn’t as collected as hoped. It was somewhat disappointing. Wasn’t she supposed to be the hero? The person others could rely on? 

A sudden thud in the bathroom immediately raised hairs. Eyes wide, she sprinted toward it—but before she could enter someone made a hasty response. 

“Uh—hello—Ladybug. I’m in here.” 

The wall between them muffled his voice, but…something about the way he spoke sounded off. Her hand tentatively rested on the door handle, unsure about what to do next.

“Are you…ok?” her voice sounded distant.

“Yes.”The response was hollow. The manner in which it was said concerned her—almost as if it were forced. The uneasiness she felt got the better of her, prompting Marinette to start turning the handle.

Adrien quickly interrupted before she could enter. “ _I-I’m in the shower._ ”

She immediately released the handle, partly out of embarrassment but more so out of respect for his privacy.She was already toeing that line, namely because he technically didn't know Paris’ superheroine, and she was his house. In his _room_ no less, without an invitation. Marinette wouldn’t have even considered acting like that, had she not been so distraught.

“ _Désolé!_ I didn’t—I’m sorry—“ Mari carelessly stumbled over her words. “I shouldn’t be here. My intrusion…it’s inappropriate.” 

 

Silence.

 

Her heart skipped a few beats. She could sense something was very off and it made her stomach twist.

“Adrien…are you sure you’re ok? I just don’t think—"

Before she could finish her sentence the bathroom door swung open. Her eyes shot up to meet his. Adrien stood there with just a towel around his waist and a disgruntled expression.  

Waves of relief passed through her. He was there. He stood before her. He was _safe_. Her emotions began to settle—any qualms about his wellbeing were starting to be alleviated. But it was going to take some time before she was completely rid of anxiety. The images of Adrien dangling and falling to his death were imprinted in her memory. 

Upon seeing her, his expression softened. With each passing moment, the pair began to feel calmer—enough to recognize the relatively small distance between them and their own growing embarrassment. 

After a moment, Adrien mustered a reassuring smile.

“See? I’m ok. You don’t have to worry bug—“ Marinette watched him screw his eyes shut, as if he was reprimanding himself for some sort of slip up.

“Bu—but you don’t seem to be.” There was an initial falter, but the smoothness and soothing quality of his voice helped him recover. 

“I assure you, I’m fine.” Marinette attempted with some resolve.

It was a blatant lie and she hoped it went unnoticed. She wasn’t sure. Adrien’s expression was difficult to make out. She wished to know what lay behind his poker face.

He hummed quietly while looking down at her. There was…such an intensity in the green of his eyes. They bore into her, searching for…something.

A few beats of silence passed. Whatever it was—he didn’t find it. Adrien quickly switched gears.

“So…” he cleared his throat, “Do you make a habit out of breaking in and entering?”

Her process of thought froze immediately. A warm flush slowly crossed Mari’s cheeks. “Uh—U-um—Ah—“ she blinked and swallowed hard, internally scolding herself. In hindsight, she should have taken more time to thoroughly think, before deciding to act carelessly. She wouldn’t be surprised if this was crossing the line. Her eyes darted away, averting his gaze with a twinge of guilt. 

“Hey—”

She blinked and slowly looked back toward him. Adrien’s expression appeared soft and forgiving. He proceeded to roll his eyes and flash her a gentle smile.

_“Don’t worry, I’m kidding.”_   he mouthed to her.

Her shoulders relaxed. Marinette still felt apprehensive when it came to Adrien—in and out of costume—which was normal given the lack of time they’ve spent together. A joke from him was somewhat unexpected. It never occurred to her how playful he was. 

The heroine let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “I only stop by when citizens cause trouble.”

The quip seemed to take the boy by surprise. He raised an eyebrow incredulously; “Oh— _so I’m a troublemaker now_? I’ve got to say, I’m slightly insulted.” 

The cheeky grin plastered on his face made her snort. “Unfortunately Mr. Agreste I’m afraid so. I’ve received a number of complaints recently.”

He leaned in, closer to her, and clicked his tongue. “ _Mr. Agreste?_ How old do you think I am, Madame Ladybug?”

“Not a day over fifty. What’s your secret?” The corners of her lips twitched as she tried to fight the smile creeping across her face.

“Great moisturizer—L’Oréal works wonders.” Adrien blinked innocently.

A few chuckles slipped through, prompting Marinette to cover her mouth with her gloved hand. Her infectious laugh was slowly getting to him as well, rendering them into a giggling mess struggling to maintain composure. After calming down a few moments later she paused, then looked up at him.

_“_ _Thank you.”_ she mouthed, finishing with a small smile. She knew what he was trying to do—and it was appreciated. Up until now she felt overwhelmed and stretched thin. Being able to pause for a moment, and get out of her own head, was calming.   

He returned her smile with a nod. They both fell silent.

Adrien’s gaze shifted away from her. She watched something in his expression change. It was recognizable, but the words needed to describe it failed her. She couldn’t discern what seemed to occupy the boy. The sudden shift in his demeanor slowly began to knot her stomach once more.

Marinette tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. His attention returned back to her, but silence still hung in the air. They watched each other for a few more moments until he let out a soft sigh.

“I assume you defeated the akuma then? How did that go?” Adrien crossed his arms and leaned against the frame of the door.

“You know…the usual.” nerves prompted Mari to chew on her cheek. “It went well.” blatant lies, but she doubted a civilian could recognize them or know any better.

“In the park…earlier…I…”

There was a pause. A moment of silence. He peered at her, and she returned his gaze. A short, fleeting moment, before she could no longer hold it in. 

“…Lila went after you and it’s my fault.” Marinette frowned and looked away from him. “I wasn’t thinking at all when I approached her. It was out of line and careless—the way I spoke to her caused all of thi—“

“ _Ladybug_ , stop.” They both seemed somewhat surprised by his interruption. Adrien let out a short huff and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

“You were…well… _firm_ with her—for lack of a better word,” firm was an understatement, “I don’t understand why, but that doesn’t matter. You couldn’t have known how she would react. You just can’t blame yourself for that.” 

The heroine waved her hand dismissively. “I-It doesn’t matter! If I wasn’t there in the first place, none of it would have happened! The whole situation was completely avoidable! My job is to _stop_ akumas, not _start_ them.” He let go of her shoulders.

“Volpina nearly fooled Chat Noir and I—who knows what could have happened?” tension began to build inside her once more, “I also put you in direct danger and that is inexcusable.”

Adrien frowned, apparently frustrated. “It was a _mistake_ , nobody expects you to be perfect, ok? I can assure you, I’m _fine._ Nothing happened.”

This abrasiveness was uncharacteristic of him, he recognized it as well. There was a quick pause before he resumed. “Quite frankly she didn’t do anything—to me at least. I never saw her after lunch.”

Good, that was…what she wanted to hear. Yet, there was something she couldn’t shake off and it was difficult to discern what. Marinette swallowed hard and straightened herself. Before she could dwell further on the matter, Adrien interrupted.

“What about Chat Noir?”

She blinked. _Chat_.

“Ladybug—?”

He had completely slipped her mind. A pang of guilt struck Marinette. Throughout the entirety of the day she had either brushed him aside or ignored him altogether. The sudden awareness, of her disregard for him, hit her like a bus. Her hand fell back to her side and rested on her weapon. 

“There’s something else we need to talk—“ before he could finish she quickly cut him off.

“I’m sorry. I have to go now—if anything happens please let me know.”

Marinette returned his glance one last time. He seemed to be at a loss…unsure how to proceed. The boy swallowed his unsaid words and gave her a silent nod. The melancholy in his eyes made her pause—for a fleeting moment—but she inevitably looked away. 

Momentarily lost herself, her gaze shifted to the great windows at the end of the room. 

“—a-and Chat Noir of course.” 

It was a cringe-worthy addition. Adrien’s expression only seemed to affirm it. He nodded slowly and murmured some form of a goodbye as he watched her sprint in the direction of the open window at the end of the room. With one swift motion Ladybug cast her yo-yo to the building opposite the mansion, propelling her in a graceful arc upward and out of sight.  

 

  

➸

 

 

Adrien’s eyes followed her movements all the way to the point of landing—a spot on the roof a few meters away from him. Despite having left his house ten minutes after her departure, he was the first to arrive at the meeting point—one of many they had established all over the city. They both knew the layout of Paris’ streets like the backs of their hands, so it was clear she had been stalling.Ladybug was desperately averting his gaze and hadn’t even moved from her spot. Thus with a sigh, Adrien stood up and made his way to her. 

Her eyes flickered toward him after noticing his shift. 

“The civilian is safe.” she threw at him, almost like an attempt to halt him.

Chat paused and stood still. Before resuming, he sighed;“Ladybug—” 

His partner continued, “It turns out Volpina stopped targeting him this morning, I think we can safely assume—“

“ _Ladybug—_ ” he attempted again.

“—she’s no longer a threat.” 

The space between them filled with silence. Their gazes locked on each other, revealing more than what words could. He patiently waited to see if she had anything else to steer the conversation off the subject at hand, but nothing arose. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you since the fight earlier, but I only managed to get two words in before you ran off.” Adrien paused to see her reaction. Her head was completely turned away from him.

“I don’t really know how you feel about it—but it seems like you’re avoiding me.” 

With a sigh, Ladybug turned to face him again. 

“Today was different…I don’t really know why…but it was.” Adrien struggled as he tried to articulate what he wanted to say. “—It wasn’t because you caused the akuma, or anything like that…but…”

“…but why did you hand over your miraculous to Volpina?” he stated simply and crossed his arms.

Her jaw clenched in response. “I didn’t hand her anything, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She was purposely being difficult and it was beginning to frustrate him. 

“Fine. You almost did, until I stopped you. My question still stands.” 

He looked at her in earnest, trying to convey how serious an issue this was. It just didn’t seem to register, or worse she was choosing to ignore it. Ladybug turned away from him again, as if that were the solution to their issue. 

“The akuma was defeated and nothing happened Chat, this discussion is completely unnecessary—“

_“Unnecessary?”_ Adrien quickly cut her off. The conversation was starting to get heated and her disregard for what happened just hours before was starting to nerve him. “How is it _unnecessary_ to talk about your reckless behavior!?”

His partner immediately whirled around in response to the blatant accusation. Regret started to well up inside him after he said those words. However, before he could retract and apologize, she threw more kindling into the fire. 

“Reckless!?” she sputtered, “Doing my job is not _reckless!_ Maybe if you would too, we wouldn’t have to deal with issues like these.” With that final remark, she dragged both of them into the flames as well.

“It is _not_ your job to get yourself killed!” he spat back. Adrien stared in disbelief at her dumbfounded expression. He was only trying to offer help and it felt like she was flinging it back in his face. “Do you know what would’ve happened if she actually got your earrings? Hawkmoth getting them is bad enough alone, but you could have fallen and—” he started to choke up, “—and _died_.”

It was apparent his words held some truth by the way her shoulders slumped, but not as much as hoped. 

“Ok, it caught you by surprise—a-and maybe I didn’t plan things out as carefully as I usually do…”she inhaled sharply, “But I had to act fast! She was dangling a civilian hundreds of meters off the ground and I couldn’t take that kind of risk! It’s our _duty_ to put the lives of the defenseless before our own.”

“No, It didn’t catch me by surprise Ladybug, it scared the living hell out of me. ” The second part of her ‘reasoning’ pissed him off. “It was an illusion LB. You won't help "the defenseless" by acting like some sort of martyr.” Adrien let out a frustrated groan and walked around her for a few minutes. Stress, and his partner’s unwillingness to be reasonable were starting to eat away at any composure he had left.

After a few strides, he quietly sat down and looked at her. “How do expect Paris to defend itself if you’re gone? If we no longer have the ladybug miraculous? Do you think Hawkmoth just hunts us down for the fun of it?” 

She lightly shook her head and stammered, “N-No I—Chat that’s not true—maybe I wouldn’t have been there but you could have simply—”

“Could have simply what!? What exactly could I have done!?” He quickly snapped. “We both know I can’t purify akumas or reverse damage…Paris would be just as screwed, with or without me, if you were gone.” 

The words hurt like hell to say, but they both knew there was an element of truth to the statement. It made him slightly bitter, but that wasn’t the point of the conversation. Ladybug’s expression softened, but before she could negate what was just said, Adrien continued;

“You’re more than just a heroine, you’re a symbol for everyone around you. You’re important to Paris—” he swallowed hard, “—a-and to me.”

“Losing you...would impact a lot of people in a major way.” 

She was speechless, but her expression said it all. It was a relief his words managed evoke something in her. They were needed now more than ever—and he was ready to say them without hesitation. They both needed a healthy dose of truth at the moment. There was more he wanted to say in that moment, so much more. He could have gone on about how deeply he loved and cared for her wellbeing—how he _never_ wanted to see her in that position again—how her loss would have devastated those around her…especially him. However, that was a lot to put on a person at this point in time, and he wasn’t quite ready to bear any of it out either. 

“We’re partners. We have to watch out for each other— _that_ is a duty I refuse to ignore.” Adrien murmured. The whole ordeal was taxing, what could have happened scared the living daylights out of him. It was also frustrating especially since;

“All things aside, you were still reckless. I…have never seen you…do that before. You’ve always emphasized the importance of keeping our identities a secret, but suddenly that all goes out the window for—for some spoiled rich kid?” he crossed his arms.  

Apparently, he unintentionally struck a chord. 

“He’s not some rich kid! B-Besides I would have reacted the same way—and have done so—with many other civilians. He just happened to be in direct danger, ok!?” She hissed. 

Ladybug looked him straight in the eye and continued; “You’re a hypocrite, you know that, right? How do you think I feel when you fling yourself into dangerous situations all the time? You never think twice about the effects—or your own safety!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “Maybe. But I have never once considered tossing my ring at an akuma. Like I already said, I do it to protect you _and_ Paris. You’re the only one who can actually purify akumas and restore things afterward.” Adrien knew that wasn’t the complete truth, “—and don't pretend you’ve actually acted like that before. Stoneheart practically waved the Mayor’s daughter around like a rag doll—and she was _actually_ there. He even flung her off the tower, but the idea of exposing yourself never crossed your mind.” he retorted. 

“Well I saved her—didn’t I!? And I didn’t know he was an illusion.” she snapped.

He didn’t understand why she was being so difficult, so irrational. It was uncharacteristic of her. “Bugaboo, you make no sense. There’s no reason this time should be any different than—” 

“STOP IT—There doesn’t need to be a reason! _Ok!?”_ her voice quivered, as if she were about to break down, “I acted like that because he’s _important_ to me! I know him! I _care_ about him! He’s my _friend_ —we go to the same school.” 

Those words struck him like a bus. Adrien had never heard someone talk about him like that before…to hear someone care so much about his well-being…to have someone put him first. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the information she revealed, or worse misinterpret anything. She cared about him—and it really meant the world to him—but it made his stomach twist, now knowing her relationship with him was what caused the whole mess to begin with. 

Adrien let out a frustrated yell, startling his partner. 

He blamed both himself and the situation. If their identities were known to each, none of it would’ve happened. They would have been on the same page. She would have known he wasn't in danger. She wouldn’t have been manipulated by Volpina’s trick. She would've realized he was right next to her, and she wouldn’t have taken such a risk—a risk that could have easily caused a fatal accident.

The protective walls built up between them now posed the danger of collapsing.

He ran a gloved hand through his hair and exhaled. Adrien turned back to his lady, locking his eyes on hers.

“We need to reveal our identities.” 

_“What?”_ she sputtered, looking at him incredulously. “You’re joking— _right Chaton?_ At a time like this? That’s what you’re thinking about?”

“YES! YES LADYBUG! Exactly at a time like this!” Adrien exclaimed in frustration throwing his hands up. “None of this would’ve happened if you knew—”

His partner raised an eyebrow inquisitively as he fell silent. Adrien was unable to bring himself to say the words that burned from within. “—if we knew each other better! We could have approached the situation differently...if I knew he…was that important to you. We could have talked about it and been a better team. A situation like this would have never happe—”

“How could you say something like that!?” she cut him off, “Today only proved _exactly_ why we can’t do just that. Hawkmoth is a bigger threat than we both realized…if he ever found out our identities through one another…could you imagine how _horrible_ that would be? How manipulative he could be with that knowledge? He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get our powers—and I can’t bear putting the people I love in that kind of danger!”

Ladybug simply stared at him in disbelief. Adrien understood where she was coming from. Her stance on the matter had always been clear, and he didn’t like pressuring her about it. But things were different now. Now it was a question of life and death—and he was not interested in gambling. 

“Well, what you did today completely contradicts everything you just said. You were practically ready to reveal yourself on command—“

“He was in danger!” Ladybug shot back. “Why can’t you just understand—!?”

“He was not in danger Ladybug! IT WAS AN ILLUSION!” he fired.

“I. Did. Not. KNOW. I overreacted and made a mistake!"

" _Mistake?_ Are you serious right now?"

"You haven’t even considered about how big a threat Hawkmoth—”

“—Can you listen to me for just one second!? You almost lost your miraculous _AND_ nearly got yourself killed all because of Adrie—” 

“—STOP IT CHAT NOIR! _You’re acting like a jealous child!_ ” she spat out.

That final sentence was a slap in the face and they both knew it. 

The nighttime sounds of the bustling city filled the newfound silence between them. The distance between them started to widen and somehow, whether intentionally or not, their greatest foe managed to cause a rift between the pair. Their gazes strayed away from one another as both teens grew absent. There was nothing more to be said.

Ladybug stood up, her eyes still avoiding his. With a hand resting on her yo-yo she addressed him curtly; 

“I have to go.”

The words hung in the air, unmet by a response. 

So just like that; 

 

she left. 

 

  

➸

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear anybody's thoughts or criticisms on the chapter! This work will go on for quite awhile, hopefully I'll manage to update in a timely manner. This chapter ended up being heavier than I anticipated, but I swear there will be a lot of sweet and character-building moments to balance everything out.
> 
> Comments are very helpful and appreciated!


	2. Changing Tack

A soft stream of light across the room caused Tikki to stir. As the glow reached her, she shifted. It did not take long to wake, and her eyes slowly fluttered open to meet the source. The ray of light vanished before the disoriented kwami could adjust, prompting her to quickly rise—now fully alert and concerned.

Tikki flew to the other half of the room and was met with a damply warm wave of air. She blinked again, in attempt to re-adjust to the darkness. A silhouette abruptly emerged out of the shadows and she zipped upward to avoid collision. The figure continued its course and barreled past, slumping straight onto the bed she came from.

Who—or even worse—what was roaming about at this hour?

Tikki turned, and fluttered back in the opposite direction to assess the situation. She quietly hovered over the bed and peered down at the figure below.

“Marinette—?” she called gently. That was the most logical conclusion—anyone else would be a cause for concern.

The covers shuffled in response, but the girl underneath remained silent. The kwami sighed in defeat and lowered herself onto the bed. She made her way up to the heap of pillows at the end and settled. Strands of dark wet hair peeked out from under the blanket, confirming her speculation. It also answered her question as to why Marinette was out of bed…however her showering at this hour only raised more.

Everything felt somewhat off, prompting a switch from confusion to concern. Tikki wiggled her way down the pillow and eventually under the blanket. Everything was dark with the exception of her own eyes, which cast a blue-ish glow onto Marinette’s features.

“Oh Marinette…” Tikki’s voice dropped at the sight of her.

Despite the shower’s best efforts, her face was still red and puffy—making no secret of the hours she spent crying. All of it, coupled with the dark circles under her eyes, made it clear to Tikki it had been a restless night.

The kwami’s presence elicited no response from Marinette, who instead rolled over to face the opposite direction. Reaching out was going to be more work than expected.

Tikki crawled out from under the covers, then flittered up and over Marinette to the other side of the bed. She landed softly on the nightstand and spun to catch a glimpse of the alarm clock.

_3:12 A.M._

The bed covers shifted once more, releasing a faint, but audible sob. The small kwami whirled around and glid straight to the blanket, proceeding to wiggle back underneath. The blue of her eyes illuminated Mari’s face again, which was newly wet with tears. The girl’s weary gaze eventually shifted to meet the kwami’s.

“Marinette—” she began tentatively, testing the waters, “—I think we need to discuss what happened yesterday…”

Marinette’s bottom lip quivered as she squeezed her eyes shut. She lifted both hands to cover her eyes before slowly shaking her head. It wasn’t the exact response Tikki had hoped for.

“I already know Tikki, ok?” Marinette blurted out.

She whimpered between sharp inhales and exhales. “I-I hurt him…I don’t need a reminder…”

The kwami paused, blinked twice, then caught on to what she was referring to. Tikki shook her head and attempted to correct her; “No Marinette, that’s not what I wanted t—”

“—I won’t be surprised if Chat doesn’t forgive me—why would he after all the things I said!?” she cut in, “I-I can’t believe I-I…” her voice slowly trailed off until her breath hitched. Tears gradually rolled down her cheeks once more, leaving behind little wet trails in their wake.

The sight of Marinette’s distress pained the small kwami. How long had this been on her mind? She was usually quite perceptive when it came to Marinette, especially in terms of her emotions. It must have started while she was in deep sleep. Yesterday’s events affected them all in one way or another.

Tikki floated all the way to the crook of the girl’s neck and nestled down in attempt to console her.

“I yelled at him—I called him a jealous child, because I was mad! H-He…was just worried—and for good reason. But I didn’t want to hear it. So I just—”

“— _hurt him_.” she whispered, eyes wide, “Who does that? I-I’m a horrible friend…”

“Marinette, you know that’s not true.” she gently insisted, “Chat Noir cares a lot about you—nothing you say can change that.” a fact she was more than sure of,“Even though I disagree with certain things you said, I understand where they may have come from.”

She paused, then sighed before going on, “What happened yesterday was overwhelming. Both you and Chat Noir, were incredibly stressed by the end of everything. Sometimes we act carelessly in intense situations. It can really bring out the worst in people, making us say things we don’t really mean.”

“Tikki, at a certain point ’overwhelming’ doesn’t even cover it anymore.”Marinette responded curtly.

She rolled over, now resting her cheek on the pillow. “…I still hurt him. We’ve never acted—no—fought like that before…”

“If yelling wasn’t bad enough, I managed to both ignore and insult him…what am I supposed to say to him now?”

The kwami flew upwards and hovered over Marinette’s face. After a few beats of silence, Mari exhaled and shifted her focus back onto Tikki.

“I’m certain the both of you will work things out, even if time is needed to do so. You two aren’t the first Ladybug and Chat Noir to have difficulties. I’m actually surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.” Tikki met Marinette’s gaze and smiled earnestly, she appeared to have settled just a bit. “In all honesty, Plagg and I have never encountered a bond quite like yours before.”

Mari raised a brow quizzically, “—Plagg? Is that—?”

“Chat Noir’s kwami?” she finished, “Yes he is.”

“—But what do you mean by ‘bond’ Tikki?” she followed up.

“You will understand in due time.” the kwami answered hastily, cutting the conversation short.

“However—Chat Noir was not what I wanted to talk about.” The pivot caught Marinette off guard, yanking her attention away from the previous question.

“We need to discuss the book you took— _ahem_ —found earlier today.”

Tikki’s eyes lit up, “But, I’m glad you did Marinette. I haven’t seen it in many years, perhaps one hundred even. The text itself is very old, but nevertheless sacred. It pertains important information about the—”

Before the kwami could finish the thought, Marinette narrowed her eyes and abruptly sat up, shoving the blanket—and in effect—Tikki away from her. The cool air of the room immediately rushed in and replaced the warmth that had accumulated under the covers.

“I’m sorry Tikki, but frankly after _everything_ I’ve experienced today, I couldn’t care less about the stupid book.” Marinette gave a frustrated ‘huff’ before falling back down onto the pillows.

Despite the sharp response elicited from her keeper, Tikki was able to maintain her calm.

“ _MARINETTE!_ This is serious!” well maybe not so calm, “Therefore you need to treat it so! As both the chosen Ladybug, and a miraculous user, you have certain duties that cannot be neglected. The book is the key to understanding—”

Mari quickly sat up again and slammed her hands onto the bed. “ _You know what?_ It’s funny, because—” her voice dripped with sarcasm, “I never asked to be chosen Tikki! I never signed up for ‘duties _’_ and ‘responsibilities _’_!” she scowled, “At what point did I _decide_ to become Ladybug!? Tell me, because apparently I missed that part.”

The kwami frowned. “Marinette, you still have a lot to learn…there are many things you don’t quite understand ye—”

“Well _maybe_ , that’s because you never tell me anything Tikki!” she interjected in frustration, “How am I supposed to ‘understand’ and ‘learn’ if I’m constantly fumbling in the dark?”

“Marine—” the kwami attempted before being cut off again.

“ _All of this—_ ” her arm shot up and gestured, “—before the stupid book appeared was manageable. I could handle the occasional akuma or petty street crime. But then _it_ appeared out of nowhere with the meaning of life, the secrets of the universe, and a guide for unlocking my chakras—plus the added bonus of more danger in my life!”

The kwami let out an exasperated sigh; “Marinette, some things are beyond the realm of our control, whether we like it, or not—”

Tikki gave Marinette a warning look before she could be interrupted again “—You were not chosen by chance. I know it feels like a lot, but I know you’re strong enough to bear it. You are wielding the miraculous to the best of your abilities, and nobody expects more than that.”

“… _Destiny?_ I-I’m only sixteen!” her arms shot up in frustration. Despite Tikki’s comforting words of support, Marinette shook her head in disagreement, “Why couldn’t the universe choose an adult with a stable life!? I haven’t even…finished high school yet…I just don’t…” 

“…I just don’t really know if I can Tikki…days like yesterday…make me question a lot.”

Marinette glanced over to her kwami, who peered back with a slight frown. After an exhale, she fell silent for a few moments……then proceeded with a meeker tone. 

“…W-Why do _I_ have to fight someone as powerful as Hawkmoth? W-Why do I have to worry about the _lives_ of my friends and parents?” Marinette blinked rapidly in an attempt stop her eyes from watering. Despite her best efforts, her voice began to falter.

She wiped her face with her hands and pulled her knees to her chest. “What if…someone gets hurt…b-because of me? Or…worse? If A-Adrien wasn’t an illusion yesterday, I-I-I—” Marinette fumbled over her words, unwilling to finish her train of thought.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tikki zipped up to her face and gently clasped her nose. “Marinette—” 

She went silent and returned Tikki’s gaze.

“—You and I both know Adrien was not there yesterday. He was not hurt.” although a lot of her grievances were out of the kwami’s hands, Tikki couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt inside. 

“I can’t promise there will never be danger, or that there won’t be potential risks for the people you love—” 

She smiled and gently touched the girl’s cheek, “—but I can guarantee this; _you are not alone Marinette_. Chat Noir and I are there alongside you. No matter what, you do not have to shoulder the burden alone.”

The kwami settled on Marinette’s palms and looked up into her eyes. A mixture of fear and doubt still lingered, but it was apparent her words lessened the effects. Marinette lifted Tikki up to her cheek and gently leaned against the small being, who in turn nuzzled closer.

“It’s ok to be upset Marinette…” she whispered soothingly. Her antennae wiggled as little tear droplets landed on her head—not that it bothered her in the slightest.

“I’m glad you’re here, Tikki…” Marinette eventually murmured.

“I’m glad you’re here too, dear.” Tikki chimed in agreement. 

After the wave of calm washed over the pair, Marinette held Tikki before her and smiled. The kwami returned the gesture and was set down onto the pillow by her keeper. After taking a breath, Marinette followed suit and made herself comfortable under the covers.

Minutes passed until the kwami rose once more and gazed across the room. Her eyes lingered a few moments on a school bag, propped up against a lounge chair. Through its unzipped top, stuck out a weathered, leather-bound book.

Tikki looked back at Marinette, who quietly slept, appearing more at peace than before. The kwami frowned, before floating down and settling in the crook of her neck.

 

 

➸

 

  

Adrien pushed his body up—

—then lowered himself back down.

_“STOP IT! There doesn’t need to be a reason, ok!?”_

And up—

“ _I acted like that because he’s important to me! I care about him!”_

—and back down.

And up—

_“He’s my friend.”_

—down.

And up—

_“We go to the same school!”_

—aaand then he rolled over with a groan _._

“What does that even mean Plagg!?” he blurted out, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“The real question is; why on earth do you feel the need to work out _before the sun rises?_ ” Plagg hissed in response.

Adrien rolled his eyes, then looked across the room at the kwami lounging on his bed. “It was a rhetorical question.”

“Don’t expect silence if you wake people up before the crack of dawn.” the kwami shot back.

Adrien furrowed his brow, conceding the argument was a lost cause. Regardless, he was still fixated on yesterday’s events. His brain felt fried, and he still wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

With arms outstretched, Adrien settled his hands behind his head and gazed up.

“Apparently I know her…” he mumbled, “…or at least she knows me…”

He waited in silence for a moment—hoping to elicit some sort of response from the kwami across the room. 

Adrien had learned early on that Plagg wasn’t particularly interested in conversation—or answering questions for that matter. That made the initial learning curve of his powers much steeper. The first few weeks were especially difficult to navigate—and no amount of prodding could get the kwami to engage. Had it not been for Ladybug, and insight from her kwami, half of Paris would have probably been destroyed by now. Heck—even with the support there were still hiccups. On day one he was almost crushed by a giant rock monster—granted he wasn’t—but being informed about the one use limit of his power wouldn’t have hurt.

Miraculous aside, there were other reasons it would be nice to be able to open up. His pool of options for confiding was limited. The times he saw his father throughout the week were few and far between. Whenever he was present for a sizable amount of time, it was always pre-planned and came with an agenda. These conversations were one-sided and always with Gabriel at the helm. There was no room for debate. Even if the case were otherwise, he wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to his father. Somehow, something he said would inevitably be wrong—and the thought made his chest tighten.

That aside, the only other viable candidate was Nino. But, that too came with its limitations. The biggest roadblock being his secret identity. Dancing around the subject was a challenge, considering it occupied half his time. So even though his best friend was a great source of support, Adrien could not be fully transparent. 

“Does that really surprise you?” Plagg lazily commented from his resting place.

The unexpected response snapped Adrien away from his thoughts. 

He sat up, then turned to face the kwami, “Huh?” 

The kwami rolled his eyes, “The fact she knows you, well, Adrien, technically speaking.”

“Yeah…yeah it does, actually. There are, like, two million plus people in Paris.” he pointed out.

The kwami stretched out for a moment, then let out a hefty yawn. “Well I’m sure most of them are acquainted with you anyway.” Plagg’s gaze shifted to meet his, “Do remember your face is posted everywhere in this city. Not the easiest thing to avoid.”

He certainly didn’t need another reminder. One could barely walk two blocks without seeing himself. Perhaps the notion of Ladybug knowing his civilian-self wasn’t that crazy after all. 

“No, Ladybug specifically said it was because of school.” Adrien corrected, “Isn’t that weird coincidence? I mean—out all the students in this city—she happens to be my age _and_ go to my school?” he raised a brow skeptically, “The odds aren’t exactly in my favor.” 

“Hm, yes, what an interesting coincidence.” Plagg’s retort dripped with sarcasm. The kwami floated in his direction, then hovered above him, “But who said anything about your age? She could be anyone at that school, no?”

That gave him pause. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Adrien looked back at Plagg, who appeared amused by the newfound worry. The kwami grinned mischievously, casually flicking his tail back and forth.

After a brief moment of silence, Adrien shook his head, “No, she can’t be anyone—”

“Oh~?” Plagg whizzed through the air mockingly, “Is that so?”

“She can’t be anyone—she said we were _friends_.” he argued. Adrien was still coming to grips with that fact. Ladybug, his partner, the girl he cared so much for, considered _him_ a friend. Another surprise he was slowly coming to grips with. Although the sentiment wasn’t a big deal for most, it meant a lot to him.“So she can’t be just anybody. I don’t have that many friends, and I don’t really know people outside of my classes.” he pointed out. 

An unfortunate fact, but true nonetheless. He did not anticipate that bonding would prove to be so difficult—granted homeschool wasn’t an ideal environment for building social skills. He had spent the majority of his sheltered life with a small pool of adults, making him weirdly out of touch with people his own age. He was by no means shy—approaching others came easily. It was only the question of what to do next that stumped him. That was what frustrated him the most; he couldn’t enjoy the meager freedom he had finally achieved. 

The few connections he managed to make felt like miracles. They meant the world to him, but with them came a looming paranoia he would somehow mess up.

And just as feared—he might have jeopardized one.

“…I shouldn’t have yelled at her.” Adrien groaned, tiredly rubbing his face. “…god I’m so stupid.”

Guilt had been festering inside him ever since the fight with Ladybug the night before. The shouting match and tears played on repeat—just over and over again in his head. He stirred all night in a range of emotions—starting with frustration, which led to anger, which moved on to sadness, and now finally guilt. 

She was one of the few friendships he had, and he naturally had to go and ruin it by hurting her.

“Kid.”

Adrien jolted in surprise, now suddenly aware of the kwami floating in front of his face.

Plagg’s demeanor had quickly shifted, now taking on a more serious tone.

“First of all, you’re not stupid—alright?” he corrected, “I’ve had many, _many_ holders. There have been quite a few characters—some great, some not so great, and some…well…were just plain idiots.”

Plagg rolled his eyes and looked back at Adrien. “—So believe me, I know stupid.” 

Was that supposed to be a compliment? Adrien wasn’t quite sure how to take it.

“Ok, but she—”

“—‘ _Ey!”_   Plagg held up a small paw in protest, “I’m not done, boy. No interruptions.”

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. Dealing with the kwami was a true test of patience.

“You were short with her, but it was to be expected given the situation.” he frowned, “It came as a bit of a shock to everyone, including Tikki and I—”

“Tikki?” Adrien raised a brow quizzically.

“Your partner’s kwami—” Plagg waved his paw dismissively. “—but as I was saying, it was a much needed reality check. We’ve become too comfortable with Hawkmoth for my liking.”

Adrien shared the sentiment. The past few months were repetitive in terms of villains—they were almost predictable. An akuma would appear, followed by a fight, then the akuma would be defeated, repeat. He practically slept through their routine on autopilot. 

“I guess his patience is wearing thin.” Adrien thought aloud.

“Agreed. He’s changing tack—and yesterday was only the beginning. We don’t know what he’s planning, or what that man is truly capable of." the kwami's expression darkened.

"That means you and Ladybug need to be more alert, got it?” he zipped around the boy’s heading and finished with a nose poke. Adrien reflexively swatted at Plagg, only to miss as the kwami zipped upward. 

He knit his brows together in frustration, “Fine. Fine. More alert. But enlighten me; how exactly am I supposed to do that if she won’t talk to me anymore?” he rubbed his temples, “I still screwed up, Plagg. I upset her.”

“Upset her?” Plagg snorted, “Perhaps. But it’s nothing she can’t get over.”

“You aren’t listening—that’s not the point!” Adrien exclaimed, growing increasingly annoyed.

The kwami floated downwards and locked eyes with him. “Look kid, you have to break a few eggs in order to make an omelet. The girl acted recklessly yesterday—she needed some sense knocked into her.”

He sputtered in protest, but was yet again cut off.

“Did she not almost hand over her miraculous to an akuma? Did she not risk her life by almost falling off the tower in civilian form? Did we not almost lose the _ladybug miraculous_ to _Hawkmoth?”_ Plagg demanded. 

Adrien fell silent.

Truth be told, he couldn’t really argue with that logic. The kwami was right—to a certain extent. 

With a huff, Plagg dropped back onto the bed and glanced up at Adrien. “Look, Tikki and I have very different approaches when it comes to these things. She’s overly cautious and adamant about anonymity, while I on the other hand, believe it’s ridiculously stupid.”

“Yeah…but…as much as I think we should reveal our identities, they might be right, y’know?” Adrien scratched the back of his head, “Kinda…?” 

This elicited a skeptical look from the kwami.

With a groan, Adrien’s shoulders slumped, “I really don’t know what to think anymore Plagg.” 

“On one hand, if I knew who she was, we run the risk of Hawkmoth finding out. I mean, shit, I’ve been under akuma control, like, what? Three times? Four times?” he gave a slight frown, “It could happen again. What then? What if he forces me to give up her identity? Or vice-versa?”

The kwami rolled his eyes in response. But before he could interject, Adrien went on, “—On the other hand, she almost sacrificed herself yesterday because of me—even though I was right next to her. That wouldn’t have happened if she knew that. I—”

“—I don’t know why she did that…” he mumbled slowly, “I know…so little about her, actually. All because of this giant secret.”

Plagg nodded in agreement, “Humans are confused enough as is—we don’t need to add secrecy to the mix. Secrets unnecessarily complicate everything—plus the cat and ladybug wielders always end up spilling the beans _anyway."_ thekwami lazily flew around him. 

"Of course, it’s better that way. The miraculous are supposed to be used in tandem, not kept apart.”

In tandem? 

What did he mean by that? 

Before Adrien could follow-up with a question, the kwami went on, “It would eliminate other nuisances—like immediately running off after using your powers, wasting time by the need to run off and hide between charges, scheduling difficulties—and I can finally have not one, but _two_ mules to carry around my cheese supply.”

Adrien scowled at the final remark, causing Plagg to cackle shamelessly.

After a solid minute the kwami finally settled and let out a hefty sigh, “Well kid, it’s up to you. Take my advice or leave it. Unfortunately, I can’t force you to do anything—even though humans are dimwitted and can’t be left alone for more than five minutes.” he grumbled, “The matter is inevitably between you and Ladybug. I suggest you start that conversation relatively soon.” 

“Wait, really? I thought you’ve always said—”

Plagg snorted, “What? That under no circumstances should you reveal your identity?”

“Well, yeah.” he shrugged, “I thought there was like, some ancient rule, or maybe code we have to follow? Sworn to secrecy for life?”

Plagg clicked his tongue, “Naturally you run the risk of the miraculous becoming unstable, and throwing cosmic order out of balance. The bonds between destruction and creation are quite fragile.”

Adrien’s eyes widened in shock, “What!? Why would I want to do that!? Revealing my identity is not worth destro—”

“ _Kid._ ” The kwami interrupted in exasperation, “Do you really think the universe is dependent on you keeping your mouth shut? It was a joke—don’t be so daft.”

Adrien blinked in slight confusion, then moments later shifted into a scowl. A wide grin stretched across Plagg’s face at his expense. He did not share kwami’s amusement.

“You’re hilarious.” he crossed his arms with a pointed look.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” The kwami casually leaned back and floated through the air with ease.

Adrien ignored the snarky comment and quietly mulled in his thoughts about Ladybug.

A lingering question suddenly resurfaced.

“Oh!” he snapped his fingers, “That reminds me, can you explain what you meant earlier?” Plagg swiveled in mid-air to catch his glance, “You know, the whole bit about the miraculous being used ‘in tandem’?”

The pair jumped up in surprise due to a sudden knock at the door. 

“Adrien, are you up?”

Plagg quickly zipped across the across the room under the bed, while Adrien leapt to grab a shirt. “Uh—yeah! J-just hold on!” he hollered. The boy hastily threw something on, then proceeded to stumble towards the door.

He pulled it open to reveal Nathalie.

Adrien let out a huff of air to regain some sort of composure, “Hey…good morning Nathalie.” he greeted cheerfully, slightly overdoing it.

Her gaze scanned him from the ground up as he awkwardly stood in the doorway.

“You’re not dressed?” she noted with surprise, “It’s almost eight o’clock.”

“Ummm…” he swallowed, trying to drum up a quick response. “I took a shower.”

She glanced at his dry hair, which evidently said otherwise. There was a hint of disapproval in her expression, but she ceased to push the matter.

“Well, as soon as you’re finished please head downstairs to your father’s study. He wishes to speak with you.” 

Adrien immediately froze. He could feel his chest begin to tighten. This was unexpected—and the last thing he wanted to deal with. He never saw his father in the mornings, so why now?

“Like—now?” he swallowed hard, “In the morning? Don’t I need to head out to school soon?”

She gave a slight nod, “He insisted it was urgent. You will be driven to school immediately afterward. I’ve instructed the chef to prepare your breakfast to go.”

A million alarm bells began to sound off in his head. _He insisted it was urgent?_ What could possibly be so urgent, that they would have to meet this early?

Adrien swallowed hard, “Uh…did he tell you why by any chance?” Was he was reading too much into the situation? Maybe his father simply wanted to see him? As much as Adrien wished that were true, he wisely knew otherwise. Gabriel wouldn’t want to speak without good reason—that would be out of character. He was confident also that—whatever it was—was actually serious. It had to be on such short notice. If it were something mundane, like his schedule, it would have easily been covered by Nathalie.

“No, unfortunately.” she remarked impassively, “He was just adamant you head to the study, once you’re ready. I was told nothing more.” 

Adrien nervously grit his teeth. There had to be a way out of this—or a way to delay the conversation at the very least.“I don’t know—can’t we just talk when I get back from school? I really don’t want to be late, it’s almost eight o’clock.” he reasoned, “Plus, I promised Nino we’d meet ten minutes before class. He’s got this math assignment he needs help wi—” 

“ _Adrien._ ” Nathalie interrupted softly.

His voice trailed off as her gaze fixated on his.”There’s nothing I can do.” Her words were curt, but did not match the look she cast. It appeared to be one of pity, but he couldn’t say with certainty.

“Please be prompt. I’ll rejoin you soon for the ride to school.” she finished coolly.

He responded with a silent nod. 

Without another word, Nathalie turned and made her way down the hall toward the grand staircase. Adrien promptly shut the door and slumped against it in defeat.

“What on God’s green earth does that man want now?” Plagg zipped up from under the bed and across the room toward the boy. He stopped just at eye-level and floated, shooting him a quizzical look.

Adrien tiredly rubbed his face with both palms, “How should I know?” Back against the door, he slid downward until reaching the floor. “Shit, shit, shit.” he grumbled.

He lifted his face to return the kwami’s gaze, “I don’t know how I keep screwing up. Every time I fix a problem, something else has to go wrong.” he explained with a gesture, “No matter how careful I am, or how much I try—and it’s frustrating.”

“You do know it’s not your fault, right?” Plagg questioned with a frown, “The only person responsible for your father’s actions and behavior is himself.”

“How is it not _my_ fault, if he’s mad at _me?”_   he croaked, struggling to maintain composure. “I don’t even know what I did.” That was what bothered him most—the fact he couldn’t recognize what had gone wrong. Correcting mistakes that displeased Gabriel was relatively straightforward—but now they seemed to fly under his radar. It was increasingly difficult to avoid missteps, despite his attention to detail. The harder he tried, the greater his paranoia. The greater his paranoia, the easier it was to misstep.

He could feel himself spiraling as worries and doubts bounced around his mind. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus his attention on breathing. Despite the effort to distract himself, he struggled. It was as if a coil were twisting tighter and tighter inside his chest. Each turn increased the tension inside him, making each breath more strenuous than the last.

“ _Adrien?”_   Plagg snapped him back to the present with a tug of his hair. He had completely tuned out the kwami, while ruminating in thought. “Are you even listening to me?” he demanded impatiently.

With a frown, he grabbed the kwami with one hand and placed him in the palm of another. “What is it?”

“Get dressed. Get your school things. We’re leaving.” he replied flatly.

“Leaving? What do you mean leaving _?_ ” he stared back in bewilderment.

“I mean _leaving_. You’re going to get dressed, get your bag, and transform so we can hop out of here.”

“What!?” Adrien sputtered in disbelief. “What about my father? The car to school? I can’t just run off and leave, are you insane!?”

“Don’t worry about them, it’s irrelevant” the kwami waved a paw dismissively, “Hurry up, you’ve got twenty minutes before class starts.” Plagg zipped upward and off his palm, “Besides, a little rebellion will be healthy for you. If you can even call running away to school ‘rebellion’.”

Adrien wordlessly stared in response, still trying to wrap his head around what he was suggesting. “Plagg! No way—do you know how much trouble I could get into? I’ll be locked in this room until I turn thirty!” he stood up, shaking his head in disbelief, “There’s no way I’m going to just book out of here. I should get ready though—I’m sure Father is pretty annoyed I haven’t shown up yet.”

Plagg flew straight toward him, and floated mere centimeters away from his face, “ **_No._ ** ” he growled with conviction, halting the boy’s attempts to pass. “You will _not_ be going downstairs—I don’t care if I have to drag you out the window by your eyelashes to stop you. You’ve had enough to deal with already and that man will only make it worse.” He was right, from Hawkmoth and the miraculous to his squabble with Ladybug, Adrien had enough on his plate. But not enough to halt him from pushing the kwami aside.

“That doesn’t matter, Plagg.” he puffed his cheeks in frustration, “Running away will only make my father mad and everything else a lot worse”. Adrien made his way to the walk-in closet and began rummaging around for a passable outfit. After hastily selecting a few pieces, he promptly dressed and wordlessly proceeded to the bathroom. 

“Doesn’t matter?” the kwami shot him an incredulous look and followed suit, only to be halted by the bathroom door closing in his face. His face twisted into a scowl, “Open up! We’re leaving. Your father is already mad anyway, and leaving won’t make much of a difference—not that I care how the man feels.” he grumbled with disgust. Growing increasingly impatient, Plagg smacked on the door, “Hello, are you listening!?”

The door slid open and Adrien cocked a brow, still in the midst of brushing his teeth. Adrien pulled the brush out, “I said no, and that’s final.” he rebuked with a mouth full of toothpaste, “And there’s nothing you can do about it.” he finished, shoving the brush back in his mouth and turning back to the sink.

“Oh, is that so?” Plagg growled and whirled around, “Very well. In that case, I’ll _personally_ head downstairs for you and tell your father a few choice words I’ve been eager to say for quite awhile.” he mused icily before flying toward the bedroom door, “Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll manage to be as measured as you usually are.”

An audible spit came from the bathroom before Adrien wheeled and sprinted after the kwami, “You wouldn’t dare! Plagg! Get back here!”

He stopped and turned to face him, “I’m afraid you’re wrong about that. I assure you, I certainly will.”

There was little reason to believe the threat, but it was a risk Adrien was not willing to take.

“Seriously!?” he scowled, waving his arms rapidly in an attempt to catch the kwami, “Why are you being so difficult!?”

Plagg stopped dodging the arms swinging around him and floated downward to meet the boy, 

“Because I care about you, Adrien.”

The surprise of his candor was enough to halt Adrien. His arms silently dropped as he stared back, unsure how to respond.

The kwami let out a long sigh, and gave him the kind of look a parent would give their small child. 

“Kid, I know this isn't easy. Your father is a difficult man, and it takes a lot to stand your ground—especially to someone like him." 

The kwami's eyes emphasized the gravity of his words; "But you have to nonetheless. If you don’t, he will continue to control you. You can’t let him do that, you can’t be passive, Adrien.” he frowned, “The way that man treats you is not healthy, and if you continue to let it happen, things will only get worse. I refuse to sit idly any longer. Things need to change, starting now. And knowing you—you need a little push to get started. So _let me_ push you in the right direction.”

Adrien was too stunned to speak. He wasn’t oblivious to the fact something about his relationship with his father was off. He was aware his father's parenting could be overbearing. However, he justified everything by some weird logic. It all made sense, did it not? The anxiety, the stress, the pressure his father exerted on him was because of something he was doing wrong. It wouldn’t be the case if he wasn’t.

Right?

Gabriel wanted to push him to be better, to achieve, to be above average. Sure, he used unconventional ways—but all with good intention, no? He was always taught to strive for the things he wanted. That’s why his father was so distant. His love had to be earned, and Adrien was giving every ounce of himself to do it.

Was that wrong? Was it abnormal? 

He wasn’t sure. It hadn’t been questioned before—it never even dawned on him to do so.

But now it all seemed off from this new perspective. It warped his truth. Adrien was struggling to grasp it and felt the urge to remain in the comforts of what was known. But another part of him screamed otherwise. It had been struggling for years and years and finally had the opportunity to come to light. 

Everything inside him conflicted. He was lost—and didn’t know how to feel.

He was relatively certain about one thing though; he lacked control. He had no control over his life—both as a superhero and a civilian. He nearly lost his partner and was on the verge of losing himself. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t do _anything_ without someone telling him how and when to do so.

He thought after finally being allowed to go to public school he had achieved freedom. But the reality was far from it. True freedom didn’t come with terms and conditions.

“You don’t have to go see him.” the kwami spoke with resolve.

_I don’t have to go see him_.

All of a sudden it felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his chest. Relief flooded his entire body and his heart slowly began to settle. His breathing no longer felt constrained, sending a sort of clarity rush throughout him.Adrien gently closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to linger in the newfound calm.

“Alright.” like the crack of a whip, his eyes snapped open.

“ _Plagg, transforme-moi._ ”

   

➸

 

  

Adrien’s gaze flicked downwards as he sprinted up the steps. An injury due to tripping was the last thing he needed at the moment. His sudden change in attitude created enough problems as is.

His attention shifted to a vibration in his pocket. In one swift move without breaking sprint, Adrien fished the phone out and peered at the notification. 

Eight unread messages.

 

**Nino**

[dude]  
_8:03 a.m._

[where are you]  
_8:03 a.m._

[sick?]  
_8:04 a.m._

 

The remainder were from Nathalie, but in all honesty, it could have been worse.

 

**[Shit. Sorry Nino.]  
** _8:23 a.m._

 

He deliberated what to say next.

 

**[I got held up.]  
** _8:23 a.m._

 

His phone vibrated in response

 

[???]  
_8:24 a.m._

 

Before he could type a quick reply, his attention diverted to a new notification at the top of the screen.

**Nathalie Sancoeur:** [Adrien, this is urgent. Your father requests a response to the pre…]

A second later the boy smacked head first into something. Rest assured he was now fully awake.

Adrien stumbled backward, dropping the phone. Various papers and folders were now scattered across the hall floor. The incident seemed to have no effect on the peers around him. The final waves of students wove around the mess without care, making a final effort to reach their classes on time. 

He dropped to his knees and hastily grabbed at the sheets in front of him. His line of sight snaked forward as he collected, until it froze upon reaching a pair of tan flats. 

_Shit_.

Not something. Someone.

His eyes slinked upward. Mint pants. Definitely someone.

“— _Marinette!_ ” Adrien slowly blinked, trying to get his brain up to speed. Judging by her bewildered expression, she too was caught off guard. 

“Ah—um—Adrien…” Marinette’s voice trailed off, giving way to an awkward silence. 

They both stood there staring at one another. Silently dumbfounded. For some reason, he was still drawing a blank. His mind was at a standstill. He just couldn’t quite…

…place…it…?

…something…was…off. But was it him? Perhaps in part. His mind was rather…absent. The shock of the last twenty-four events left him adrift—unable to do anything except aimlessly float through his daily routine. Adrien was making a great effort to suppress the emotional aftermath, but in doing so he was left hollow and disoriented.

After blinking a few more times, Adrien peered at Marinette…and began to take note of her appearance. She looked a bit disheveled overall. Her hair was unrulier than usual—and there were visible circles under her eyes. Was she alright? She looked just about as drained as he felt. That was definitely a red flag. His clumsiness did not make things better—mentally kicking himself for slamming into her.

His stomach suddenly dropped when her gaze met his.

Those blue eyes inexplicably raised hairs on the back of his neck. Something about them latched onto him. Locking his knees. Anchoring him where he stood.

There was something there beyond the blue. It was difficult to see, but undoubtedly there. A slight sliver of sorrow peeked through those carefully guarded eyes. It made his throat tighten, and his chest ache. Adrien felt a twisting sense of guilt, despite there being no logical reason for it. As if he were somehow at fault for her present state. 

As those eyes held his gaze, the only thing on his mind was the hurt his partner felt.

Seeing another friend in the same state made him feel exponentially worse.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you.” she said slowly, drawing his attention back to the present, “Is your head ok?”

Marinette watched him tentatively, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He blinked again, until it occurred to him he hadn’t said anything yet. “Oh…right…” 

He paused again, then finally regained consciousness of his surroundings. “D-don’t worry Marinette—I’m fine, I promise.” he stumbled over his words, but the reassurance seemed to calm her. “Looks like we both forgot to wake up this morning.”

That prompted awkward laughter, “Haha…yeah…I’m a bit of a klutz…but it’s never _this_ bad.” 

She chewed her cheek, lost for in thought for a moment. “I’m just…a bit distracted.” she finished with a shrug.

Adrien bopped his head in agreement. “Yeah I get what you mean—but it’s definitely my fault this time. I really shouldn’t text and walk at the same time.” he knelt down to pick up his phone, along with the remaining scraps of paper. He straightened back up and handed them to her. “—But hey, maybe this is a blessing in disguise.” 

Her eyebrow rose up in confusion. “—Oh? How so?”

“Maybe I’ll get a bruise in the middle of my forehead—then I can miss the magazine shoot scheduled tomorrow.” he shrugged with a half-smile, “Honestly I should be thanking you.”

There was a hint of a smile from her, which made him glad. He considered her to be a friend…but they were no means close. If one thought about it…it was slightly odd. There was no particular reason as to why they wouldn’t be closer—he admired her in countless ways. Marinette was of course kind and friendly—but there was more to it than that. She was somewhat different in comparison to the rest of the class, which was by no means a bad thing. She was a great person overall, but her most defining quality was her unwavering moral code. 

No matter the size or significance, if Marinette saw a wrong she would not settle until it was made right. She was always there to support others, regardless of who they were or whether they held her beliefs. It wasn’t far-fetched to say she was the glue that held the people around her together. 

Which again, made the boy wonder why they were so distant. 

Plagg was right—moving forward, things needed to change. So why not start here? There was no time or excuse for a delay. 

Images of his fight with Ladybug flashed across his mind once more. He couldn’t shake the expression on her face. The hurt he left her.

The person before him reflected the same hurt, and it didn’t sit well with him. If—if he could ease at least one lady in his life—the effort would be worth it. 

Befriending Marinette Dupain-Cheng was now at the top of his to-do list.

Just as she was about to respond to Adrien’s little quip, her expression froze.

“Marine—?”

“—Adrien” she interrupted, “the hall—”

He looked past her down the corridor and then back behind him. It was empty. 

Marinette abruptly shoved the remaining materials back into her satchel. “Ms. Bustier will kill me if I’m late— _again_.” she muttered, clasping the bag shut. 

“You and me both.” he chuckled, slipping his phone back into his pocket. With that final remark, they turned and began sprinting down the hall toward the classroom.

He was definitely on the Bustier chopping block with her. The number of times he had been late surpassed that of everyone in class—combined. In his defense, it was mostly out of his hands. A superhero’s office hours were never consistent. There was no telling where or when an akuma would appear. It was not as if he could choose to avoid it, no matter how inconvenient the timing was. 

If only Hawkmoth could make appointments to accommodate his schedule—life would be much more of a breeze. 

 

 

➸

 

 

“Adrien, Marinette, I’m glad you two decided to join us.” Ms. Bustier’s voice echoed through the silent classroom. All eyes were trained on the pair standing by the entrance. 

“Please have a seat, we’ve lost enough time as is.” she said curtly, gesturing to their empty seats. She didn’t bother with asking for an explanation as to why they were tardy—one eventually runs out of creative ways to retell an excuse.

Marinette shuffled to her seat, unfazed by the lingering attention on her. It was routine at this point and more than likely to remain as such.

She slumped in her seat and gently planted her face atop the desk. After a restless night she was exhausted, to say the least. 

Ms. Bustier’s voice began to fade into the background of Marinette’s surroundings, droning on into a continuous lull—similar to that of white static. Her breathing began to even out, while her eyelids struggled with increasing difficulty to remain open. 

Perhaps if no one paid attention, she could make up for a few minutes of lost sleep.

“ _Late again Marinette?_ I think this is your longest streak yet.”

It appeared Lady Luck was not feeling very merciful today.

She refused to lift her face, hoping the lack of acknowledgment would send a clear signal. “—Alya I’m tired.” she managed, muffled by the desk.

Unfazed, Alya continued. She playfully flicked her friend’s ear and cooed, “Hm, tired are we? Maybe if we went to bed at a reasonable time it wouldn’t be the case. Heck—we might have even arrived on time today.”

She turned to look at Alya, still resting her cheek on the desk. She knit her eyebrows together in exasperation; “—gee, what a thought. Thanks Alya, I’ll take it into consideration next time.”

Alya snorted, amused by her friend’s snark. Marinette turned her face away and grumbled, “You know, I’m not the only person in school who’s occasionally late—yet every time I’m somehow the only one called out for it.”

“ _Occasionally_? Girl, unless I’m in the wrong classes, I’m pretty sure you’ve been more than _occasionally_ late—and missing for that matter.” Well she wasn’t wrong there, but most cases were out of Marinette’s control. The duties of a superheroine loved to intervene in her daily schedule. Without a doubt, she struggled with the delicate balance of a double life. 

Alya rolled her eyes and went on, “—Besides, I never said you were the only one. Others, myself included, _are_ occasionally late, but nobody comes close to your streak. Well, except for maybe Agreste.” she smirked, nodding in the oblivious boy’s direction.“I think it’s an interesting coincidence you two are missing so often—usually at the same time, wouldn’t you agree, Mari? Or is there something I’m missing?”

Marinette turned again and squinted in the young journalist’s direction, unsure of whatever she was trying to insinuate. Alya had a knack for jumping to conclusions—some being not too far from the truth. A curious mind, with a talent for observation, was a recipe for both success and disaster. Marinette seemed to have more trouble with the latter. There had been a number of close calls in terms of exposing her secret identity. Far too close for comfort. Albeit—it was better to be in the loop than out—that way she could at least steer her friend’s nose away from places it didn’t belong.

“Too busy making out in the broom closet to come to class?” she grinned cheekily, obviously poking fun at her friend.

Marinette deadpanned, “Yeah, we’ve been together for months haven’t you heard?” she grumbled sourly, “It seems like your perceptive abilities as a journalist have taken a hit.”

Alya struggled to maintain her composure, allowing a few snickers to slip through; “Wow Mari, _savage_. Someone is not holding back today.”

“ _Miss Césaire and Miss Dupain-Cheng,_ if I’m interrupted one more time you two will be joining me in my office after school. _Understood?”_ Ms. Bustier’s voice sharply cut through the conversation, jerking the attention of both girls to the front. Marinette shot up and hastily nodded, now fully alert.

The teacher’s gaze shifted to the now present student, “Marinette this is not your bedroom either. You may sleep on your own time.” 

Her remark was followed by giggles from Chloé and Sabrina, who clearly reveled at her expense. Unfortunately, their snark backfired, as they received an icy glare from an unamused Bustier. After silence swept through the classroom once more, the lesson resumed its snail’s pace.

“As I mentioned, this project will replace your final and account for 75% of this quarter’s grade. However daunting that may sound, I don’t want that to stifle any risk-taking or enjoyment for that matter. The assignment is fairly broad and will allow you to exercise many creative liberties…” 

A buzzing sensation momentarily diverted Marinette’s attention. She quietly fished her phone out of her pocket, carefully keeping it out of sight under her desk. Quickly glancing down, she was greeted by a notification.

 

**Maman**

[Chouchou, remember to be home no later than 1 today  
after school. We have a large catering order for an event  
tonight. There will be at least 200 people there.]  
_8:52 a.m._

[image.png]  
_8:53 a.m._

[Please pick up everything on the list on your way home.  
Papa and I will be busy prepping all morning.]  
_8:53 a.m._

 

“…but the subject must remain within the scope of France.” 

Ms. Bustier clicked her remote, prompting the next slide on the presentation, “Whether it be about history, literature, economics—or anything else, is entirely up to you. This will be a group assignment and you are to work in pairs. You will need to produce an essay and an engaging presentation at the end of the assignment.” this elicited a collection of groans throughout the room, nevertheless Ms. Bustier continued on.

“I would _also_ like you to document and reflect on your research. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should be detailed. All information on the assignment can be found in the email I sent out this morning. You will be given time this week in class to start, but the rest is up to you. Are there any questions at the moment?”

“Sooooo, how long does the essay _have_ to be?” Kim hollered from the back of the class, ignoring the other hands patiently waiting to be called on.

“Eight to ten pages—images and the bibliography are not included.” she answered, giving him a displeased look. She shifted and gestured to Max, who was clearly straining to get her attention.

“Do the presentations require a particular format? And will you be grading groups as a whole or each individual separately?” 

“No the format is up to you, and you will be graded as a collective group.” she replied, “Yes, Chloé?”

“Can we pick our partners?” she asked, exasperated. She was growing rather impatient and ready to cut the conversation off.

“—Yes, you may choose whom you wish to work with.” she replied with a huff, “Now if there are any more que—”

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sudden chatter erupting through the room. The naturally pre-determined groups were already discussing ideas for the project to come. With a sigh, Marinette turned towards Alya, who at the moment was preoccupied with her phone. Marinette was ready to start and get the planning stage over with, but interrupting her wasn’t a good idea—as she had learned from past experiences. 

Thus she shifted her attention to the pair in front of her, oh so casually eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Y’know, I’m usually not a huge fan of Bustier’s assignments—but this one might be lit.” a grin stretched across Nino’s face. His animated arm movements echoed excitement as he spoke, “I mean, like, she gave us tons of free reign to do— _whatever!_ ” And that got me thinkin’—for the presentation we could shoot a doc about the growing undergrou—”

“—Sorry Nino,” Adrien managed before Nino could finish his tangent, “It sounds awesome, but I’m working with Marinette.”

Alya’s eyes snapped up from her phone and joined the others to gawk at Adrien. All three members of the group were simply stunned, resulting in a silent staring contest with him. He lifted an eyebrow, perplexed by the reactions received.

As the cogs of Adrien’s mind slowly turned, his expression transitioned from that of confusion to panic. The words he meant to keep to himself were blurted aloud. 

“ _Et tu, Brute?_ ” Nino asked in a serious tone, dramatically clutching his chest.

Adrien ignored the comment and shifted to meet her gaze. “Marinette—sorry I didn’t mean it like that. I-I mean, we _can_ work together if you _want_ to—but we don’t _have_ to, if you don’t want to—does that make sense?” Somehow in an effort to sound more coherent, he managed to flub even worse. “—I just thought since we never—”

“Woah, woah, woah, hold it brother.” Nino cut in, gesturing to himself. “I think we’re forgetting someone here.”

Adrien paused to break eye contact and shifted back in Nino’s direction, who at present was smug having caught the blonde’s attention. This naturally prompted an eye roll. 

“No, we’re not. You’re my best friend and I love you—” he placed a hand on Nino’s shoulder, “—but your work ethic kills me, man.” A fair point, given the fact he was notorious for slacking on assignments. “Plus we work together all the time—a change of pace will be good for both of us.” he finished with a pat.

Nino squinted, unimpressed by the weak response. This elicited a few snickers from Alya, who appeared amused by the entire exchange. 

“Better for both of us? Dude—the ideas I bring to the table are always killer.” Nino crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Do what you want—but the only one losing out is you, buddy.”

“A loss I humbly accept,” Adrien replied sweetly, fighting a sarcastic smile with all his might. “But hey, I really do think it’s a win for you too bud—now you finally get the chance to work with Aly—YAH—” Adrien’s eyes widened as he received an audible kick in the shin. 

“Hm—? What was that bud? I think I missed it.” Nino mocked sweetly, simultaneously shooting daggers at his friend.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Adrien muttered through grit teeth.

“Good to hear.” Nino finished with a pat. 

“You two are hopeless, I swear,” Alya interjected with a head shake.

Adrien turned in her direction, “Hey—what do you mean, you _two_?” he asked, sounding more defensive than intended. 

With a groan, Marinette sunk her face into her outstretched arms. 

“I should have stayed home today.” she mumbled, exhausted by everything and everyone around her. 

After a few moments, she lifted her eyes up again, only to meet Adrien’s staring back at her. They fixated on her in concern, but there was a visible hint of disappointment as well.

She frowned with a twinge of guilt, now realizing how her words could have been misinterpreted. They came off as harsh…but in truth she was mostly confused by Adrien’s odd behavior. The sudden shift felt like night and day to her. He had never been this forward before—at least not with her. What spurred the sudden change? Was it lingering guilt from earlier, after bumping into her? Or was he genuinely interested spending more time with her? She couldn’t say for sure. A newfound awareness had now struck her. She didn’t really _know_ him at all. The boy that made her heart skip a beat. The boy she supposedly had feelings for. 

“That’s…that’s not what I meant.” she swallowed hard as she held his gaze, “Of course I don’t mind working with you Adrien.” after a brief pause she turned back to Alya, “If that’s ok with you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” she smiled, touched by her friend’s thoughtfulness, “—after all I’m already covered.” With a sly smirk her gaze flicked in Nino’s direction, “—Right Lahiffe?”

Before he could utter a smooth response, the poor boy’s cheeks flared up in rosy betrayal. “Uh huh. Yep.” he replied stiffly. 

“See?” Alya nodded with a smirk, “All is well with the world,” she turned to Adrien before continuing, “however with that being said, you still owe me one Agreste.” 

Now it was Marinette’s turn to flush a shade of pink. Luckily Ms. Bustier put her out of her misery.

“Students!” her voice cut through the classroom chatter, “I can tell you’re all very excited, but I must remind you; time is limited. You may now use this lesson to begin working on the assignment. Feel free to remain in the classroom if you wish, or go to the library to begin your research. If you need access to another room, or area of the school, please come speak with me now.”

With that final remark, students began to shift from the confinement of their seats. Without a moment’s notice, Alya gathered her things and began walking toward the door at the front of the classroom. 

“Hey—HOLD UP!” Nino sputtered. The boy looked at the others bewildered, double checking to make sure he wasn’t the only confused member of the party. The best they could offer were shrugs of sympathy. 

With a huff, Nino hastily shoveled things into his backpack and proceeded to awkwardly leap past Adrien in the direction of the exit. 

“Off to the library—catch you two later.” Alya called without a glance behind her as she exited. Nino followed suit, but not without a short pause to wave before heading out.

The room settled once more, leaving only a handful of students at work. 

“ _So—_ ” The sudden voice jolted her back to the present. Marinette eyes snapped to meet the boy in front of her, “—where do you want to start?” he mused, peering back at her with a gentle smile.

She blinked, taking a moment to think. Marinette was in no way prepared for their current predicament. Naturally, she had dealt with unanticipated assignments in the past—but most cases relied on her manpower alone.Although she enjoyed being around others, she preferred more often than not to work by herself. If anything were to go awry, the only person that could be disappointed would be herself. However, working alone had its advantages—namely no need to rely on others for things to be done. There were a set of expectations to be met, and simply put she was confident in her abilities to do so. The same couldn’t be said for situations not entirely under her control. Now she didn’t know what to expect—or what he even expected?

“…Did you have a particular topic in mind?” Marinette finally asked, still rather unsure of where he stood.

Adrien scratched the back of his head, “Uh, no actually—didn’t think that far I’m afraid.”

Well, that made things slightly more difficult. Not only were they lost in terms of direction, but there still stood a barrier of awkwardness between them. Eventually, someone was going to have to take initiative and step out of the comfort zone.

“Well, in that case, do you maybe want to go to the library?” she offered tentatively. “I think we’re bound to find inspiration there—or at least a starting point.”

He nodded in agreement, “Sounds like a plan to me. Are you ready to head out now, in that case?”

“ _Yup!_ ” she internally cringed after blurting out that reply—why was getting through _one_ conversation such a challenge for her? At this rate, he’ll run for the hills before the assignment even begins.

She swiftly returned her belongings to her satchel and stood up.

“Alright then—” he awkwardly finger gunned toward the door, “—out we go.”

Marinette quickly clamped her mouth shut before any giggles could escape. Thankfully Adrien had already turned and began moving toward the exit. She took a slow breath in, and paused before gently exhaling. 

_He’s a bit of a dork—but somehow that’s very comforting?_

The thought brought a smile to her lips. 

Marinette made her way through the door, and just before she could start in the library’s direction, a sudden force yanked her in the opposite direction.

Adrien had grabbed her hand and was now staring down her with the widest eyes she had ever seen.

“I have an idea—” the corners of his lips twitched. It was as if a light switch had suddenly been flipped on inside the boy. Every ounce of him was starting to buzz with excitement. He glanced at her, then glanced at the school entrance, then at her once more—as if she were supposed to understand what it meant. 

She blinked twice, struggling to keep up. “…An idea?”

“Sooooo…” he hummed whilst looking down at her, “…have you ever…?”

“…Have I ever???”she stared back in bewilderment. Someone was going to have to get her a translator for this boy.

“Well… _left_ …?” he began gingerly, “….you know…during…?”

“Left during…what?” Marinette paused to see if he was going to continue, then flicked her gaze in the direction he was motioning.

“Oh!”

It suddenly struck her.

“…. _Oh?”_ she whirled back to him, “Adrien…you don’t mean…?”

He nodded in encouragement. 

“Are you asking if I’ve—wait— _do you want to skip school?”_   No, she must have misread—that couldn’t possibly be what he intended to sa—

“…Ah ha ha…yes?” he laughed awkwardly, somehow confusing himself as well.

If she had to describe Adrien Agreste, _skipping school_ , would have never in a million years come to mind. She was now starting to doubt whether she really knew anything about him.

“Er—well yeah I guess I have a few times? …Have you?” she raised a brow.

“Yes—well—no—um yeah?” he shook his head, “—ugh what I mean is, no…not really.” he finished with a huff. 

“Listen Adrien—”

“— _Wait.”_ he cut in _. S_ he paused as he let go of her hand, “I know, I know it’s not a good idea—maybe it’s a pretty bad one actually…”

“I mean…” she cocked her head, “…don’t we have a project to work on? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea Adrien, but it may not be a good time to cut class…”

“Well you’re definitely right about that—“ he lifted a finger, “ _however_ , I know for a fact you do excellent work when it comes to your assignments—”

She felt her cheeks redden, which elicited a small smile from him.

“— _and_ if we pick a topic we’re both fairly confident with, I don’t see how starting a day later could be much of an issue.” he reasoned.“Plus it’s not like this time can’t be productive. Think of it like—”

He placed both hands on her shoulders and beamed.

“Team building! So…wouldn’t you agree? You know, that getting to know each other a bit better, is a good idea?” 

“I guess…” Marinette slowly mulled over her words, “…when you put it that way it _does_ make sense…”

Her voice trailed off, lost in thought. There was actual merit to his reasoning. Working together would be far easier—and perhaps less awkward—if they spent time genuinely getting to know each other. Yet…for some reason, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of hesitation. Missing more classes would be a poor choice considering her already spotty record. But on the other hand, another absence wouldn’t make much of a difference. The only real dread was being later reprimanded by Tikki for being irresponsible.

…But that aside, there were still a few questions left unanswered.

“—But Adrien,” she looked back up to catch his gaze. His eyes were bright and brimmed with hope—a sight she didn’t catch very often. It gave her pause, this clearly meant a lot to him…

“I don’t mean this in a bad way…but this seems so…”

A pause.

“…Out of character for you?” despite her best efforts to be delicate, his face slowly fell. Mentally scolding herself, she attempted again; “—I just want to know if…everything’s alright?”

Adrien crossed his arms and averted her gaze, “Uh—yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

Marinette frowned. Something was definitely off…and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of hurt because he rejected her help. Despite every instinct telling her otherwise, she didn’t push him. It wasn’t her place, to begin with, and the last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable. 

After a moment of silence, Adrien let out a soft sigh, then met her eyes once more.

“You know…I’ve recently come to the conclusion, that I’ve been the backseat passenger of my life—instead of…well…the person at the wheel?” he ran a hand through his tousled hair, “I’ve passively gone along the path set for me…and, really, it hasn’t been bad.” 

“It’s just been…comfortable…I guess—no _safe_ would be a better word for it. Which is fine for most people…” his voice trailed off as he looked at her, perhaps trying to gauge her reaction. 

“But I think I want more than that.” he finished with a shrug. “I’m slowly realizing…how quick everything is, I guess? Things can change in the blink of an eye—things can pass by if you aren’t looking.”

He was right about that.

“I don’t actually know what’s going to happen tomorrow, heck, I don’t even know what’s going to happen in the next minute—so shouldn’t I try making the most of my time? …Maybe this seems a bit out of left field, but…” 

Adrien turned and looked back in the direction of the entrance. After a brief pause, he turned back, “If you don’t want to—I get it. I don’t want to pressure you into anything, Marinette.”

She did understand where he was coming from. As of late, it felt like her control was slipping away.In less than a day, her entire world had been flipped upside down. The sudden wake-up call had left her in shock—and she was still coming to grips with what her reality actually entailed. After nearly experiencing true loss, the danger of her situation felt more tangible. The stakes had grown, leaving those she loved more vulnerable.

“…Marinette?”

Without an answer, she held his gaze. She took a moment to really look at the boy before her. As her eyes traced his gentle features, she began to appreciate what was almost lost to her. The boy she supposedly loved…the boy she knew so little about. An entire connection robbed from her…only because of her silly fears and inaction. 

“Ok.” she said finally.

He blinked twice. “—Ok? Like, uh…?”

“Yes, we can go.”

A hint of doubt dashed across his expression, “Marinette…are you sure? Really it’s fine if—”

Before Adrien could finish she grabbed his hand—simultaneously surprising him and herself. Marinette stifled her fluttering feelings of embarrassment as she cleared her throat.

“Are you ready?” she gave him a soft smile, and gently tugged in the direction of the entrance, “—because if we stay here any longer we might get caught.”

Adrien stared at her, slightly dumbfounded. Then once again, with the sudden flip of a switch, a dazzling grin stretched across his face. 

“Alright, let’s split.”

 

 

➸

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack, I'm so sorry for the incredibly slow updates. Hopefully, it'll start to pick up now.
> 
> ALSO: In my mind Plagg's voice is pretty deep, sounding like a cross between Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Scar from the Lion King.


	3. Twenty Questions

What seemed like a good idea in theory, did not unfold the same in practice.

Their getaway went smoother than expected. After drawing up a quick plan, Adrien and Marinette left the school grounds undetected. It took careful navigation to weave through the courtyard without running into classmates or school staff (though there were a few encounters too close for comfort). 

Most students operated on varying schedules—so their early exit didn’t raise many eyebrows. Some classes began at eleven in the morning and finished their day at five, others promptly at eight and wrapped up by noon. The majority of the student body finished around lunchtime on Wednesdays, but other than that, there wasn’t much day-to-day consistency. 

Escaping was the simple part of the equation. The real challenge was the question of what to do next—a question neither thought to ask before taking their leave.

Thus the pair found themselves wandering the streets of Paris with no destination in particular. 

Successfully breaking the rules left them both giddy. The risk of being caught made their freedom all the more exciting—but once the high was over their chatter began to dwindle and eventually ceased. Fortunately for the pair, the bustling city kept the awkward silence at bay. 

Marinette’s eyes were locked on the path in front of her, closely monitoring each step she took. Her grace did not come with the best track record, so taking a few precautions was more than reasonable. But there was more to it than that—it kept her distracted from, well, herself. She had the tendency to be hypercritical of her actions, leading her to continuously dwell over everything that was said and done—which of course increased tenfold around Adrien.

She was slightly on edge, to say the least.

Had she been asked earlier what her day would look like, skipping school to spend time with her crush would have been nowhere close to the answer. 

The whirlwind situation still had her at a loss. Within an hour it felt like the boy she knew had transformed into a completely different person. Not only did Adrien approach her out of the blue, he also wanted to partner up `on an assignment, _then completely cut school altogether_. It created a mixed bag of emotions—she was thrilled at the opportunity to spend time with him, but felt nowhere near equipped to do so.

However, there was more to her conflicting emotions. Her headspace was still clouded by thoughts of Chat. Guilt loomed like a giant shadow over her—inhibiting her from feeling or thinking about anything else. Every other thought returned to yesterday’s events and the rollercoaster of emotions that followed.

“Hey Marinette—” Adrien began, finally cutting through the silence. 

Marinette ripped her gaze off the ground and turned in his direction. He paused mid-sentence to peer back at her, before clearing his voice to continue.

“Ah…” he swallowed, “I just wanted to, uh, say thanks for going along with this whole thing,” he said while rubbing the back of his neck.

She blinked twice in response. Not something one would expect to be thanked for.

“It was kind of sudden and…well…not exactly in line with school rules…” he offered a soft smile, “It was a lot to ask—but you still took the risk. I really appreciate it.”

His sincerity was rather touching, though a bit of a surprise. The favor seemed like such a minor thing. 

Marinette returned the smile with an additional awkward wave. “Adrien, it’s just a few classes, no need to worry. I’ve missed plenty before…” she hummed truthfully, “…and not all for good reason.”

Her gaze returned forward without giving him the chance to respond, shutting down the conversation in effect. 

As the two walked in silence, she allowed herself an occasional glance in his direction. Adrien wordlessly stared off into the distance, keeping only to his thoughts. The silence between them functioned as a double-edged sword; it guarded her from making a mockery of herself, while simultaneously leaving her exposed and unsettled. 

Letting her nerves get the better of her, she chewed her cheek. Were her reservations doing more harm than good? It was difficult to say, as there was no answer to be found in his expression. At best, he was just as awkward as she. At worst, completely regretting ever having asked to work with her.

“It just seemed important to you.” Marinette suddenly thought aloud.

Adrien automatically slowed his pace and turned toward her, “Huh? What was that, Marinette?”

She internally winced at the slip. Willing herself to speak was a challenge in itself, but having to repeat made it all the more difficult. 

“I mean—” she began tentatively, “Er—leaving.”

He blinked wordlessly at her. Another rush of nerves prompted her to look away.

“Leaving—school.” she breathed out, scrambling to collect her thoughts. “W-what I’m trying to say is…you shouldn’t worry. It seemed really important to you, Adrien. So because of that…I was happy to come along. A-and like I said, it’s personally not a big deal.”

“Oh.” 

Preparing for the worst, she glanced back at him. 

Much to her surprise…he greeted her with an endearing smile. “I don’t know if important is the right word, but I get what you mean.”

“That’s good.” she cringed at the awkward response. How could small talk be harder than swinging through Paris on a yo-yo?

“Wait.” 

Without warning, Adrien stopped dead in his tracks and halted her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Marinette stiffened at the unexpected touch before stopping next to him. Curious and somewhat miffed, she turned to him. Without another word, his expression fell flat. 

After a silent pause, he turned to survey their surroundings.

Marinette craned her neck in search of whatever caught his attention, but failed to notice anything abnormal about the scene. She looked back at his face, in hopes of finding some sort of clue. Adrien wordlessly opened his satchel and began digging inside it, which only added to her mounting confusion. 

She idled next to him, unsure how to proceed. 

“…Is everything ok?” she finally questioned, trailing her gaze from his face to the satchel. Adrien paused to look behind them once more without a reply, prompting her to do so as well. Yet again, she saw nothing.

Marinette shifted her weight from one leg to the other and looked back at his expressionless face. 

_“Adrien.”_

The firm tone snapped the boy out of his trance, drawing his attention to her. She stared back expectantly, still awaiting a reply.

“Ah—sorry Marinette…” he apologized sheepishly, “…I just…” his voice trailed off before glancing behind them with a frown. “This may sound random, but do you happen to have a pair of sunglasses or maybe a hat with you?”

She wordlessly blinked in response. As promised the question seemed to come out of nowhere. 

The apparent lack of communication was now becoming irksome. She couldn’t help but worry—being kept in the dark made the situation all the more concerning.

Albeit, Marinette couldn’t fault him entirely. She was also guilty of not expressing herself around others, whose frustrations were now understandable. There were instances in which she just forgot people could not hear her internal dialogue. But in others, she worried that some wouldn’t perceive her words as intended. There was a certain difficulty to voicing thoughts the way they appeared in her head, so more often than not she refrained from doing so.

Marinette popped open her own satchel and glanced down at its contents, “Um, no—no I don’t think so.” she replied with a head shake, then clicked it back shut and looked up at him, “Adrien, could you tell me what’s wrong? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine.” he uttered quickly before fishing out a pair of sunglasses and an olive green baseball cap, “Behind us,” he went on, “is a black van—Marinette no—” she abruptly stopped turning to look at what he was pointing out, “—don’t look. It’ll draw more attention…”

Adrien let out a soft sigh before returning her gaze, “I think it’s the paparazzi.”

Despite the revelation, Marinette knit her brows together in confusion. Why on earth would a few measly photographers be a cause for—

Her eyes widened as reality smacked right in the face. The fact that Adrien was a public figure—and the son of an even greater one—hadn’t crossed her mind in a while. His celebrity status was no secret of course, but it wasn’t something often confronted at school. She was well aware of it before they met, mostly due to her appreciation for his father’s work. Only later, after Adrien began attending their school, did she really understand the extent of his notoriety. The school was a frenzy during the first two months after his arrival. Girls would flock around him en masse, beg for autographs, and wait outside his classrooms. The hype, as well as the affiliation with Chloé, were a few of the reasons she was initially put off by him. 

“Are you sure?” she asked, slowly turning her head for a peek. Sure enough, there idled a van ten meters behind them. The driver was difficult to make out through the tinted windshield, but she did take notice of the open passenger door. Marinette’s eyes trailed opposite the car to a small café. The front appeared to be empty, with the exception of what looked to be a waiter…and a middle-aged man with a large and seemingly expensive camera slung around his neck.

“Take your pick,” Adrien offered, cap in one hand and glasses in another. “I’m used to the tabloids, but I still try and avoid them when I can. Plus, you shouldn’t have to deal with them because of me. Usually I come prepared, but I left the house in a bit of a rush this morning,” he explained. 

If this was considered unprepared she was curious to see the latter.

Marinette tapped her chin thoughtfully before deciding on the glasses. She reached out and gingerly put the pair on. Alas, it wasn’t a perfect fit, but they did the trick. The sight was apparently amusing, given the new grin stretched across Adrien’s face.

“Looking good, Marinette.” the comment brought a flush to her cheeks, “I wish they looked half as good on me.” There was little doubt in her mind such a feat couldn’t be achieved.

A quick gesture out of the corner of her eye drew her attention. The two individuals previously noted were now in the midst of a conversation, while simultaneously staring at the pair. The waiter said something unintelligible before motioning in their direction. 

“Adrien…” Marinette tapped his arm in attempt to divert his attention to the situation. 

“Hm?” he threw a quick glance behind them and parted his lips to form an ‘o’. In one swift move, Adrien put on his cap and grabbed her hand. “Yeah, time to go.” 

As if on cue, the van came to life and started speeding toward them. 

The pair began to sprint in the opposite direction with some difficulty. Adrien’s significant height made their strides uneven, resulting in Marinette needing to sprint, and him awkwardly slowing as to not yank her arm off. Navigating the bustling street was the other half of the challenge—pedestrians, artists, and vendors moved in every direction and slowed them considerably. 

The gap between the two and the vehicle began to shrink rapidly with each obstacle, twist, and turn. As the hollers and calls for Adrien’s attention grew, they pushed forward even harder, eventually reaching the end of the street. They quickly turned the corner and—

—were immediately confronted by another group of photographers.

They were spotted before managing to switch gears. The two reversed, and turned the corner again, only to see the van fast approaching. 

Within a split second Marinette whipped around the corner again. She lurched forward, yanking Adrien with, straight toward the oncoming hoard on foot.

“ _Marinette!?”_ Adrien exclaimed, startled by the impulsive shift. He lightly resisted her pulls as the group drew nearer, seemingly wary of her course of action. Despite his protests, she continued.

Then jerked to the right without warning.

She sprinted with Adrien in tow down a back alleyway. The two made a sharp left upon reaching the end, onto the street, then straight inside a shop. 

Adrien and Marinette entered the building with a burst of energy. The shopkeeper jolted upward as they skid through the entrance, completely unprepared for the new visitors. Exhausted by the wild-goose chase, the two slumped in silence to catch a moment of reprieve. 

After a few minutes of pants and heavy breathing, they exchanged glances…and suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. 

The shopkeeper appeared very unimpressed by the scene, which he expressed through a few expletives on his way to the back of the shop.

“So…I assume that’s something you don’t get every day?” Adrien managed between chuckles. He straightened up and offered her a hand to do the same.

“You think?” Marinette accepted the gesture and shot an incredulous look. “Is it usually that bad?”

“No—er worse,” he replied with an awkward laugh, then fell silent. 

Adrien turned to take in their new surroundings. Every nook and cranny of the small shop was filled with cheap knick-knacks and tacky souvenirs. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with what appeared to be an endless amount of Paris-themed merchandise, from clothes, to magnets, to posters, to cards, to every iteration of the Eiffel Tower imaginable. 

Adrien plopped his satchel on the ground and moved toward a shelf with numerous replicas of notable Parisian landmarks. 

“I think we lost them.” Marinette called, before glancing out the front window, “This is the last place anybody would think to look.” her gaze trailed along the shop judgingly. 

Adrien picked up a sparkly-gold replica of the Eiffel Tower to study, “I must admit, it was a pretty genius move, Marinette.” he looked up with a grin and wiggled the miniature tower for her to see, “No Parisian would ever fall for a tourist trap like this.”

Mari crossed her arms and responded with a disapproving eye roll, which in no way hindered the boy’s enthusiasm. He returned the tacky replica back to its spot and made his way to a rack of t-shirts.

Marinette turned to a nearby display and began rifling through various postcards. She plucked a watercolor design of the Notre-Dame from the stack, conceding it didn’t look too bad. Upon further examination, it was actually quite beautiful. Its purple tones reminded her of her great-uncle’s famous celestial soup—maybe he would appreciate the gift?

“I think we’ll be ok to leave in ten minutes,” she called behind her, still looking the card over. Hearing no response after a few beats of silence, she turned. 

Regrettably so.

“I’ve never felt more French in my life.”

Her eyes landed on the most god-awful sight imaginable. Adrien was sporting a stereotypically french black beret, along with a red and white striped scarf. The real tragedy, however, was his pink “I ♡ Paris” t-shirt and Eiffel Tower glasses—similar to the pair she made for Jagged Stone. 

Marinette quickly covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, “Oh my god…Adrien…what have you done?” she mumbled in horror, taking in his outfit.

“I know, I know, you love it.” he posed shamelessly with a smile stretching ear to ear. 

“It’s hideous.”

“You should take a few notes, Marinette. There’s a reason I’m a fashion icon.” he posed to emphasize the point.

“A fashion icon who’ll never work another day in his life,” she teased with a few giggles managing to slip through, “You’ll send every designer running the moment they see that disaster.”

Her comment elicited a smirk, “Oh, you don’t think my father would appreciate this work of art?” he switched poses, “This is the future of the industry, Marinette.”

“If that’s where the industry is heading, I’m switching career paths,” she replied flatly. Adrien strolled over to the accessory rack and plucked two bags with the words _Paris, France_ scrawled all over.

She shook her head and feigned a serious tone, “You’ve officially disgraced our country. I’m overwhelmed with second-hand embarrassment.”

“On the contrary,” he retorted, “I don’t think you’re being patriotic enough, Marinette. Where’s your French spirit?” he crooned, turning to grab a sweatshirt from the display. He presented a white one, with a cursive _Bonjour_ on the front.

Marinette scrunched her nose in response, repelled by the ghastly article of clothing. “Yeah, no.” she said with a head shake, “You’ve officially lost the right to call yourself French. I’m revoking your citizenship.” she decided.

Adrien marched the sweatshirt in her direction, prompting her jaw to drop. “Adrien…” Marinette shot him a warning look as she stepped backward. “Do not—don’t you dare touch me with that thing.”

Her protests only encouraged him further, “Embrace your inner Parisian. Be proud of your city.” he continued forward until she was completely entrapped by the display behind her, “Arms up.” he commanded sweetly. 

She crossed her arms defensively, “No.”

“You know you want to—” he wiggled the sweater encouragingly. 

“Never.”

Adrien hummed thoughtfully for a moment, then perked up. “You know, I’m pretty sure the paparazzi haven’t wandered off too far—to be safe we should probably get some stylish gear.” 

Marinette paused. To his credit, no photographer would look twice at them decked out in tourist gear. No French person, let alone a celebrity, would be caught dead in it. She glanced back up at his beaming expression, which pretty much sealed the deal.

“Ugh…fine.” she groaned in defeat. She squinted at him begrudgingly, a final attempt to wriggle out of the situation. To no avail, he held up the sweater again, still beaming down at her. 

“I can’t believe this.” sourly, Marinette removed her sunglasses and slipped them in the school bag at her feet. She then lifted her arms to accept her fate and stood still as he slid the sweater over her head. She shifted and tugged at the fabric until it felt comfortable, then wove around Adrien to look at the result. 

“Oh god…” she whispered, eyeing herself in a full-length mirror. Adrien came up behind her with his even tackier outfit and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s perfect.” he declared with a grin.

Marinette spun around to face him and pointed, “You’re _not_ walking out of here with the bag, glasses, beret, and scarf.”

Adrien’s smile dropped into a pout, “Aw—come on Marinette, they look so good.” he insisted, whining like a little kid.

She straightened up, placing her hands on her hips, “No.”

“But-but-but— _pleeease_?” he begged, hitting her with the largest puppy-dog eyes possible. Unfortunately, it didn’t weaken her resolve a second time.

“No buts.” she finished unwaveringly. Marinette reached up and gently removed the three articles from his person, then made her way around the store to return each one to its place.

Lightly sulking, Adrien wandered to the sunglasses display and combed through the various options. He eventually settled on a pair and picked them up. “Can I get these at least?” he suggested, turning to show her.

She walked back to check. The glasses were regularly shaped and featured a blue, white and red frame with black lenses. 

“Ok.” Marinette conceded, seeing as they weren’t too outrageous. She reached down to grab her satchel and clicked it open. After some fishing, she pulled out her phone and watched it come to life, “It’s been like…twenty minutes, I think we’re ok to go.” she tucked the phone back inside the bag and clicked it shut. “Are you ready?” she asked, glancing back up to meet his gaze.

“I’m all done here,” Adrien nodded, before dropping his eyes to the card she was holding, “What’s that?” he asked, motioning to her hand.

Marinette followed where he pointed, “Oh!” she lifted the card and handed it to him, “Right. It’s kind of like a postcard. I thought it looked pretty, so…” her voice trailed off as she watched him examine the card.

“Who’s it for?” his bright green eyes peeled off the card and met hers. 

“Um…” she blinked, momentarily locked by his gaze, “D-do you remember my uncle? Well, technically great-uncle. I thought he would like it.”

“Oh yeah—Chef Cheng?” he smiled gently, handing her back the card, “He lives in China, right? I can’t get enough of his famous _Marinette Soup_.” Her cheeks pinked at the reminder of it being renamed in her honor.

The pair walked over to the cash register and placed all of their items on the counter, “Uh—yep. He lives in China. I haven’t seen him since his visit for the competition.” she turned to look up at him, “Wait, do you make his soup?” 

They learned how to make the soup during the competition, but she lost all memory of it. It wasn’t like there was a recipe to follow either—her uncle created all of his dishes through instinct. That’s why she preferred baking to cooking, everything was measured and incredibly specific, all one had to do was just follow the instructions. Cooking was a bit more abstract and less concrete.

“Ah…” Adrien laughed with a head shake, “…no. I wish though. I tried a few times, but they didn’t go too great. I asked Chef Cheng to write out a recipe—which I translated for our cook. The amounts were kind of vague, so it doesn’t taste _exactly_ the same, but it’s still pretty good.” 

The shopkeeper emerged from the back room and made his way to the register. His eyes trained on them the entire time, not even wavering as he scanned their items. 

“Forty-five euro,” he spoke in gruff broken English. 

Marinette paled, not having once checked the price tags. Those tacky souvenirs weren’t worth that kind of money, nor was she interested in paying such an amount…but the embarrassment of putting the items back seemed worse. With a sigh, she opened her satchel and grabbed her wallet.

“Oh—no Marinette, please.” Adrien gently pushed her wallet back into the bag, “It’s on me. Don’t worry.” Upon realizing they were French, the shopkeeper cast a seemingly judgmental look, which both were too preoccupied to notice. 

“What? Adrien, don’t be ridiculous, that’s way too much.” she countered with a gesture.

“That’s for me to worry about.” he insisted, “I’m the one making you get the stuff, so it’s on me. Consider it a gift.” he winked.

Before she could argue, he pulled out his wallet and handed the man a fifty euro note. The shopkeeper handed him five euros’ worth of coins in return. “Thank you very much, no bag please,” Adrien replied with a smile and handed Marinette her card and sweatshirt. 

The pair slipped their new merchandise on, along with the previously worn cap and sunglasses. Once settled, Adrien turned to Marinette and gave her thumbs-up, coupled with a goofy grin.

At that moment, it struck her how vast the difference was between the boy in front of her, and her mental construction of him when they first met. That boy felt so untouchable—elevated by wealth, celebrity status, and a prestigious family name. He occupied the same affluent circle as the Bourgeoises, a group completely out of touch with the everyone else. Even after her discovering how kind he actually was, there was a sort of disconnect between them. He came from a world of glamor she would never know. A world bathed in privilege. A world so far from her own, whether intentionally or not, made him seem superior to her and the rest of their peers.

But that wasn’t the boy in front of her.

The boy in front of her was tangible—no longer hidden by a veil of riches and stardom. They were on the same footing. He was as awkward as anyone else their age. He was sometimes just as clumsy as her. He was dorkier than anyone else she knew. The one thing that remained unchanged was his kindness.

Maybe his distance wasn’t by choice. Maybe people were too quick to judge and based their assumptions on what was seen at first glance—she was certainly guilty. Adrien couldn’t be faulted for the life he had been given, he had no more say in the matter than she did. 

The only thing within anyone’s control are the choices made with what they have.

Marinette eventually caved to his playful expression, simply unable to hide a smile.

 

 

➸

 

 

Adrien was practically buzzing from excitement. 

The day was currently exceeding all hopes and expectations. 

Albeit, the start was rather rough. He managed to subdue worries from earlier as the day progressed, but they never strayed too far from his conscious. That can of worms would, without a doubt, be opened later.Nathalie had eventually ceased bombarding his phone with calls and texts—whether that was good or bad, he still didn’t know. 

What actually came as a surprise, however, was the fact he had not heard a single thing from his father. Not one call or text. Given his track record, Gabriel would have blown things out of proportion by now and sent a plethora of people to find him.

But, it was in fact the opposite. Radio silence. 

It sent a cold chill down his spine. Hearing nothing felt somehow worse—almost like a calm before the storm.

Without a doubt, he would much prefer dealing with Gabriel’s anger upfront. In most situations, he would be able to gauge his father’s reaction and prepare for what followed. But this was completely foreign to him—he had no idea what to expect. The unknown was far scarier than every ounce of wrath imaginable.

No—as Plagg had said earlier that morning—it was something he didn’t need on his mind. He refused to let the thought sour the mood. Because, as mentioned, the day was exceeding all expectations.

Adrien’s quest to befriend Marinette was so far a success.

The beginning was cringeworthy, to say the least. After accidentally blurting her name out loud, he was sure that was the end of it—that his awkward slip-up came off weird and killed any chances of working together. It was a miracle she actually agreed to be his partner.

It was a miracle they stayed partners after he proposed to skip the rest of their classes. Her shock wasn’t misplaced, the suggestion was a bit absurd and out of left-field—he even surprised himself. 

But she went along with it.

That was more unexpected than the suggestion itself. He was so sure she would immediately shoot down the idea. Change her mind about the assignment. Change her mind about him.

But she went along with it for his sake. She recognized its significance and prioritized it…and that meant a lot to him. It was yet another thing to add to the list of reasons why he wanted to get to know her.

There were a few more hiccups after that. The first half hour of wandering was filled with awkward comments and silence. He was completely lost in terms of where to go and what to talk about. She was equally silent and seemingly tense the entire time, which only wracked his nerves. He worried he was doing something wrong—the last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. 

The arrival of the paparazzi did not help either. It irked him really. He should have expected them to begin with and taken a few measures to avoid the whole situation. He could handle it, _to an extent_ , but it wasn’t something he wanted Marinette subjected to. She didn’t deserve that. She was dealing with enough as is, there was no need to be harassed on top of that. It defeated the whole purpose of his plan.

“Hey—” with a cheeky smile, Adrien glanced at Marinette walking beside him. 

His gaze trained on her, waiting until she turned to meet it. 

“Yes?” she responded with lingering hesitation. Adrien took a few steps forward and swiveled to face her, all without breaking stride.

“I have an idea.” he declared, walking backward.

Rightfully, she shot him a skeptical look, “I don’t know how I feel about that.” 

Adrien held his hands up defensively, “I know, I don’t have the best track record—”

“—No. You don’t.” she agreed, with a smile tugging at the corners’ of her lips. 

“But—” he lifted a finger to counter.

“But?” she raised a brow, still skeptical. 

“—This one is a good one.”

Her silent expression didn’t seem to agree.

“Objectively-speaking,” he assured with a grin.

“Mhm.”

Adrien continued, ignoring the look she cast, “Remember what I said about team-building?”

“Team-building?” her eyes flicked upward in thought, “Ah—right.” she looked back at him, “Something you thought we needed?”

“Yup,” he confirmed with a nod. 

“I see,” she commented with intrigue, “In that case, what’s the idea?”

“Well we don’t know each other—er—I mean we do, technically,” he paused, trying to find the right words, “But there’s still a lot to learn, if that makes sense?” 

A few beats of silence passed.

“Uh—yeah, I think I know what you mean,” Marinette agreed with a slow nod, “You’re not new—anymore—and we’ve been in the same class for a while now…but we…” her voice trailed off. Adrien hung on each word. Her hesitation only fed the creeping sense of doubt within him. 

The pair exchanged looks. 

“I mean… _we are friends_ …” she said softly.

He stiffened at the mention of the word. It caught him off guard, but not in a bad way. Quite the opposite. The fact she considered him to be a friend was thrilling. He just had to be extra careful not to screw it up.

“So anyway—” Adrien pivoted back to his original point, “—how would you feel about a game of twenty questions?”

“A game of twenty questions?” she replied, “Like…we ask each other questions?”

“Basically.” he swiveled with a smile back to her left side and continued walking forward, “We just take turns.”

“Ok…what kind of questions?”

“Anything—it’s up to you to decide. There are no rules,” he replied with a grin.

Marinette pursed her lips, “I don’t know, Adrien. It still sounds suspicious.”

Her expression elicited a few chuckles from him, “I promise, it won’t be bad. It’ll be a fun way to learn more about each other—and you don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to.”

“Alright then.” she conceded after a beat of silence, “But twenty questions each sounds like a lot—” she stopped walking and turned, prompting him to do the same, “How about five each?”

“What? _Only five?_ ” Adrien feigned a look of disbelief, but failed to hide his grin, “Now, that’s not fair, Marinette. How am I supposed to work with that?” 

Marinette mirrored his smile, “Yes, _only five_. So it looks like you’ll have to make them all count.” she turned to continue forward. He followed with an exasperated sigh and began to wrack his brain for ideas.

“You’re also starting.” she declared with a smirk, keeping her gaze forward.

“Oh come on, really?”

“Mhm.”

“Fine _…_ ” he hummed thoughtfully. One would assume he’d come prepared, considering the game was his idea. However, he had the unfortunate tendency to dive into situations headfirst, only stopping to think once in their midst.

“Uh…what’s your favorite color?” he decided finally.

Marinette glanced in his direction, “Adrien, is that really your first question?” she asked with amusement, _“My favorite color?”_

“What can I say? You put me on the spot.” he shot back, meeting her look, “And yes, that _is_ my question.”

She rolled her eyes in response, “You wanted to play in the first place.” she momentarily looked away to deliberate, then clicked her tongue, “What do you think my favorite color is?”

Adrien wordlessly blinked. 

“Hey now, hold up—you can’t do that! That’s not how the game works, you’re supposed to come up with an answer.” he protested, though quite amused by her attitude. It was a pleasant surprise.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Marinette lifted a finger, “Yes I can _—_ you said there were _no rules_.” she countered slyly.

“So what’s your guess?”

Without a doubt, he was _really_ enjoying her newfound playful side. It was a rarity to see, which led him to believe she was growing more comfortable. That also meant he was doing something right…hopefully. Either way, as long as she was enjoying herself, he considered it a success. 

“Fair enough.” they exchanged glances and her eyes momentarily caught his attention. 

Once again a wave of déjà-vu flooded through him. There was…a captivating quality to them. Just like a few hours prior, they drew him in and maintained an unwavering grasp. 

“Blue.” he murmured aloud without thinking. He quickly became aware of the slip, but it was too late to take back. 

A nerve-wracking beat of silence passed.

“Blue?” Marinette raised a brow quizzically, “No, but good guess.” she failed to draw the connection, much to his relief. He just hoped she wouldn’t press further and ask questions.

“It’s pink,” she revealed triumphantly, which in hindsight, made more sense. Marinette possessed a sizable collection of pink stuff—a fact discovered during their training session for the Ultimate Mecha Strike tournament. 

“Right, that was definitely my second guess.” he contended. It was definitely not.

“Of course, without a doubt.”she nodded with edging sarcasm.

The road eventually ceased and converged into another running perpendicular. One side was flanked by a number of storefronts and cafés—the other by a wide open view of the Seine. The water’s ripples glistened in the bright midday sun, reflecting white flashes in every direction. The pedestrian walkway trailing alongside the river was shrouded by large trees, which filtered rays of light into shades of green. 

Upon crossing the walkway, they were met by a gust of crisp river air, followed by the sounds of hundreds of rustling leaves. Adrien and Marinette reached the bank and paused to quietly drink in the scene.

They eventually turned away and resumed their stroll alongside the river.

“Hm…I wonder whose turn it is to ask a question?” Adrien wondered rhetorically with a cheeky grin plastered across his face.

Marinette turned her head in his direction, “Not mine, I just asked one.” she responded sweetly, which completely contradicted her sly expression.

“Oh no you didn’t,” he disagreed with a head shake, “Hijacking my question _does not_ count, you’re going to have to do better than that.”

She rolled her eyes, still denying she was in the wrong.

“You can’t answer a question with another question.”

“I beg to differ.”

Adrien playfully poked her side, “Oh come on Marinette, humor me.”

She let out an overly-dramatic sigh, simultaneously fighting a smile threatening to break out, _“Fine.”_

Upon exchanging glances, he gave her a look, making it increasingly difficult to stifle her smile. She cast her glance across the river and fell quiet. Her brow furrowed with a slight pout.

Moments later she turned to meet his gaze with a slightly smug expression.

“What’s _your_ favorite color?”

“Wow.”

“Huh, never heard of that color.” 

The comment made him snort, “—and here I thought you were super creative.”

Marinette shrugged with a head-tilt, “It’s a reasonable question.”

“One I just got judged for asking. And it’s plagiarism.” Adrien spoke with an incredulous look. 

“You can’t dictate where I draw inspiration— _and there are no rules_.” she replied with the same cheeky defense.

Adrien stopped walking and turned to fully face her. “Alright, I didn’t want to do this Marinette—but you leave me with no choice. From now on players can’t repeat or redirect questions.” he decided, crossing his arms.

A few seconds passed before her eyes widened,“Adrien! _”_ she stared at him in disbelief, That’s _cheating_. You said there were no rules.”  
  
“Exactly, and there are no rules about adding rules—so now I’m adding rules.”

She shook her head with a slight laugh, “I can’t believe this.”

“No worries,” he reached out to give her shoulder a pat, “I’ll let this question slide.”

Marinette pursed her lips in response, “Adrien Agreste is a total cheat.” she stated, eyeing his hand on her shoulder. Her sour expression was far too enjoyable. 

“Well, if by ‘cheat’ you mean ‘good sport’, I’ll take it.” he grinned down at her.

She scoffed, “Yeah, ok. Whatever. You still need to answer the question.” she reminded before turning to walk again.

“Right, right.” he nodded in agreement, following suit, “Huh…my favorite color…” he pondered aloud. It wasn’t something he had given much thought before. Such questions were generally left to conversations amongst six-year-olds.

Marinette’s gaze fixated on him, curiously awaiting his answer.

“Green.” he decided finally, turning to meet her glance.

“Green?” she repeated with a small smile, “Why green? Is it because of your eyes?”

Before the question could be processed she froze with pinked cheeks, “Ack—t-that came out weird,” she swallowed nervously, before looking away, “I-I didn’t mean—um—your eyes, well I did but—” it seemed as though the harder she tried to articulate herself, the worse she stumbled over words.

“Marinette…?” Adrien blinked down at her in slight confusion, before giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. The gesture seemed to clear her headspace and divert attention back to him. After locking eyes he watched the corners of her lips fall into a slight frown. Moments later her gaze shifted away to break eye contact. 

Yet another creeping sense of doubt began to take root inside him. Was he somehow making her uncomfortable? Could his self-awareness really be so abysmal? He was under the impression that progress had been made between them…but his growing skepticism now argued otherwise.

“…Marinette.” his second attempt drew her gaze back to him. 

“It’s ok.” he mumbled quietly, scanning her face for some sort of insight on where she stood.

After a few seconds she quietly exhaled before giving him a slow nod, allowing his own tension to ease.

“Um…so…”

“So…?” he spaced out momentarily, “Ah right…my eyes.”

Adrien mulled over the thought, “No, well actually…kind of?” his voice dropped in tone, “…My mom’s eyes are green.” His eyes were one of the few things his mother had left behind, so her guess wasn’t technically wrong. 

“O-oh…” Marinette’s voice softened as her gaze lingered on his, “So you have her eyes…”

“Yeah.” Adrien nodded with an awkward chuckle, “I do, but I like hers better.” he shrugged, “I’m grateful for it though. My memories of her can get hazy at times. So it’s kind of nice to see a part of her everyday…to…remind myself.” his expression fell as he finished. 

He decided not to mention the pang of pain that accompanied his daily reminder. She stared back at him in every reflection, which was both a blessing and a curse. Her gentle green eyes were filled to the brim with memories of a simpler time. A period marked by childhood innocence, when the world was still new and exciting. When he was still blissfully unaware and untouched by its hardships. When the supply of love and affection felt endless.

But they were simply that—memories.

Memories could only do so much. They were small fragments of a person he held dear. They could never piece back together what once was. All he could see now was a mother forever lost to him.

A warm waft of chocolatey air sent a rumble through his stomach. Guided by the inviting aroma, Adrien shifted his eyes back onto the path ahead and landed on a quaint street food stand. His hunger, refusing to be ignored any longer, bolted to the front of his consciousness, pushing all other thoughts aside in the process. He was only further encouraged by his stomach’s relentless groans and grumbles. 

“Hey Marinette,” she turned at the mention of her name, “Would you be up for a bite to eat?”

“Oh, so that’s your second question then?” the response came as a bit of a surprise to him, and judging by her expression, it was no secret. “I’m just messing with you, Adrien.” she assured with a chuckle, “Food sounds pretty good right about now.” 

Her confirmation elicited a grin, “Awesome! But that’s not a free pass out of the game— _and_ —I still have my second question,” he informed. While she did say it was a joke, he couldn’t help his lingering suspicions. 

“Yeah, fine.” Marinette rolled her eyes, “Anyway, what kind of food did you have in mind?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

Adrien gestured in the direction of the food stand, “Crêpes and waffles?” he answered, sounding a little too eager. The growls from his stomach didn’t help either.

Marinette peered in the direction he motioned, “I see. So we’re going for all the tourist traps today?” she wrinkled her nose at the sight of the stand.

Her unimpressed response was rather entertaining, “Come on, Marinette. They’re not that bad—and it’s _right there._ ” he made sure to stress the last part in hopes of the quick convenience winning her over.

“Not _that_ bad?” she squinted, as if the mere suggestion was offensive, “They’re always overpriced and the quality is just a gamble.”

Adrien gently tugged at her elbow, steering her towards the target, “A gamble I’m willing to make—” he declared, eyes locked on the objective, “—and this may come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m not exactly pinching pennies.” he noted. It was no secret, but he still disliked bringing up the subject. His father’s career was responsible for his financial standing, but he still earned more than the average adult.

“Well, I still don’t think it’s worth _my_ money.” she huffed, “I know good food when I see it.” Which was probably the case, considering she was raised in a bakery.

He scoffed, turning to meet her glance, “Who said anything about _your_ money?”

A few seconds passed before his words clicked. 

“Adrien!” she gasped, with notable color rising to her cheeks. He ignored her mewls of protest as they inched closer and closer to the food stand. The smell of frying batter heightened as they drew in, prompting him in turn to speed their pace.

“I-I can’t let you keep paying for things…” Marinette muttered quietly as they walked up to the stand. A hint of guilt accompanied the words she spoke, which was the last thing he wanted.

“Maybe so. But you can’t stop me either.” 

They halted behind a short queue of customers awaiting their turn to be serviced. Adrien quietly skimmed the giant menu posted above the stand, making mental notes of the most appetizing choices. He paused to glance at Marinette, who nervously bit her lip while doing the same.

“Hey listen—” Marinette shifted her gaze to meet his, “—don’t worry about it, alright? Honestly, I should still be thanking you for coming out.” 

“Adrien…”

He smiled gently, “It’s not a big deal—and the least I can do. Besides, I don’t usually get to go out. So it’s not like I have a ton of spending opportunities.” he admitted with a shrug.

Upon hearing the last part, her expression shifted to one of concern, giving him slight pause.

“What do you mean?” Perhaps he said too much.

“Ah…” he cleared his throat, “My schedule can get hectic…with modeling and what not.” he offered rather hastily, hoping the explanation would suffice. Judging by her expression, she didn’t seem too convinced.

“Anyway—” Adrien continued, tossing the subject away like a hot potato, “Do you know what you’re getting?” he asked, pointing to the menu.

“Well…” she paused to sift through the options once more, “I can’t decide between a savory crêpe…or a sweet one.” she mused, lips pursed.

“Mhm, tough choice.” he nodded in agreement, “Fancy anything in particular?”

“Well, ham and cheese is a classic…but strawberry jam sounds good too…”

The lady ahead soon received her food and stepped aside, allowing them to make their way to the register.

“Hey,” Adrien gave a small nod to the cashier, “Could we get two ham and cheese crêpes with strawberry jam, please?”

Marinette furrowed her brow before giving his shoulder a light tap, “Adrien, I meant ham and cheese _or_ strawberry jam.”

“I heard you.” he assured, which only added to her confusion, “But, you couldn’t decide, so why not both?” he suggested, as if it were a logical conclusion. 

“Are you being serious right now?”

“It’s good to try something new once in awhile.” he replied with a grin.

“Oh my god…” she pinched the bridge of her nose, “…you’re so gross.”

The cook echoed her sentiment through the funny looks he gave. Their outfits were probably a contributing factor, but it didn’t bother him in the slightest either way.

Adrien fished out his wallet and handed the cook exact change for the two crêpes. After handing one to Marinette, he moved to the side of the stand where trays of utensils and napkins could be found. He grabbed a few of each with his free hand, then moved away to make room for the other customers behind them. 

Once an adequate distance was put between them and the stand, he turned to Marinette, handing over a few of the napkins and utensils recovered. 

“Dig in.” he encouraged, shoveling some of the hot crêpe in his mouth moments later. It tasted…interesting, to say the least. At this point, he was too famished to care. 

He watched Marinette gingerly poke at her own crêpe with a fork, almost as if she expected the food to come to life. With some difficulty, he stopped wolfing down his food and cut a bite with his fork.

“Open up, Marinette.” he held the bite in front of her, swaying it lightly back and forth. She eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds, before reluctantly taking it. 

“…So?” he watched curiously as an array of expressions danced across her face, “What’s the verdict?”

“It’s…” she smacked her lips a few times, then looked up at him, “…not bad, actually.” she admitted eventually. Her confession was met with a triumphant grin.

“Hey!” Marinette made a valiant attempt at being serious, but it was completely undermined by her giggles—which added more fuel to his gloating. She narrowed her eyes and waved her fork at him warningly, “You were just lucky this time.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” he crooned, mildly amused by her choice of wording. He took another bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully. It tasted a bit strange before, but something about the salty-sweet contrast was slowly growing on him. Marinette rolled her eyes and took a few bites of her own crêpe. 

“Mhm—” Marinette covered her mouth to swallow, “Do you want to sit by the river?” she asked, gesturing to the bank with her fork. He nodded, in the midst of chewing his own bite. 

Thus, the pair moved down the stairs leading to the riverbank. They wandered a small ways before settling on an empty bench to eat in peace.

They sat in silence for awhile. Naturally, he finished his food before her. With nothing better to do, he contently watched as she ate (perhaps making the occasional attempt to steal her food). 

Adrien surveyed the river carefully and its opposing side. The sun shined directly above them, now at its highest peak, signaling it was about midday. It also meant they had been out for a significant amount of time—hours probably—which, quite frankly, felt impossible. He could have sworn they had left school not too long ago, perhaps an hour at most. Time couldn’t have flown that fast.

He glanced back at Marinette. She was still eating her crêpe, but stopped upon noticing his attention. He wordlessly wiggled his fork in the direction of her food—to which she leaned away and stuck out her tongue.

Yeah, he could get used to this.

Adrien hadn’t felt such at ease in quite some time. Perhaps ever.

He was enjoying her company more and more with each passing minute. He had always enjoyed the little time they spent together—like when they partnered up for the gaming tournament, spent the day with her uncle, or worked together on the class film project. Now that he really thought about it, he liked being around her a lot. If only the realization had come sooner—he could have indulged in the fact more. 

She had this…endearing quality of brightening up the things and people around her (as cliché as that sounded). How could he _not_ enjoy being around her? 

She made him feel so…normal. There was no need to maintain an image around her. No name he had to live up to. She didn’t shoulder him with those responsibilities or expectations. 

He could simply…be. And that was enough.

It was an escape. An escape from the outside. An escape from home.

After years of isolation, he hoped it was something public school could give—but that came with its own set of challenges. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shed the baggage that accompanied the family name. It was too big to go unnoticed by others, which for better or worse, affected how they treated him. It came with an unwavering pressure to act a certain way, and live up to something not of his making. Just a different type of isolation.

But that all changed on the day he found a magical black ring. 

Becoming Chat Noir was his first _real_ taste of freedom—his first escape from all the pressure outside and at home. It destroyed the mold forced upon him by his father and everyone else. It became a chance to be his own person—to make his own mistakes. A chance to actually earn his achievements and not have them handed to him.Adrien felt forever indebted to whoever sent that ring.

But, as much as he wished, he couldn’t run in a catsuit all day. Until now.

Well, spending time with Marinette wasn’t _exactly_ like being a feline superhero, but it got pretty darn close. It was a similar kind of escape from his reality.

“So tell me…” he began as she took her last bite, “…what do you want to do later in life?”

Marinette shot him a quizzical look as she chewed.

“Career-wise, I mean.” he clarified with a gesture.

Marinette swallowed and set her paper plate on the bench between them, “Oh.” she looked back up at him, “I thought it was a bit obvious.” 

He rubbed the back of his neck, both unsure what to say and slightly peeved at himself for not knowing the answer.

“Fashion.” she quickly cut through the silence threatening to emerge, “I want to be a designer and start my own company. Or at least work for one…” she replied, seeming almost skeptical.

Memories of the school design contest held by his father resurfaced. _Of course_ the answer was obvious.The handful of Marinette’s designs he had seen were stunning, and though Adrien was no designer, he had enough experience in the fashion world to recognize talent.

“I think you would be a great designer.” he encouraged supportively. There was no doubt in his mind about that.

“Wait—really?” she squeaked, as if it were news to her.

“Yeah, of course!” he reassured with a smile, “I saw a few of your designs—they’re amazing. Even my father thinks so.”

“T-thank you…that means a lot.” the praise seemed to overwhelm her a bit, so much so she broke eye contact and stared at the bench, “But seriously Adrien, there’s no way your father would think…” her voice trailed off before the sentence could finish.

“I swear! When I got home after that competition at school, he actually asked about you. My father hardly shows any interest in what I do, let alone my friends. He even remembered your name, which is high praise coming from him.” Adrien insisted, watching her slowly re-emerge from her shell.

“Are you sure…?” she asked quietly, still seemingly skeptical.

He nodded, “Promise, I’d never lie.” To her, in any case.

Marinette began twirling a loose strand of hair, “I can’t believe Gabriel Agreste knows my name…” she murmured.

Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact his father, out of all people, made her starstruck, “Had no idea you were a fan.”

She cast him a look before rolling her eyes, “I guess you could say that. I’ve been following his work for years…” she admitted, “He pushes the boundaries of the industry while staying accessible at the same time, which is something a lot of designers struggle with. It’s an amazing achievement really…and his designs are just breathtaking,” she gushed.

Her praise brought a twinge of pride to his heart. His father wasn’t perfect, but if there was one area Gabriel Agreste excelled in, it was most definitely fashion.

As for the rest of his skill set…there was room for debate.

An ingenious idea suddenly struck.

“Hey—you should send me your portfolio. Maybe I can have him take a look.” Adrien offered. Getting his father’s attention was no easy task, but it would be worth the work for a friend.

Marinette cupped her mouth, rendered utterly speechless.

“Adrien. _”_ she breathed, willing herself to speak, “That…that would be _amazing_.” she appeared completely enthralled by the idea.

However, her expression slowly fell, “No I—couldn’t waste his time like that.” That was a surprise—a waste of time? Why would she come to such a conclusion?

“Hey, if I thought it was a waste of time, I wouldn’t have brought it up.” he replied seriously, “I mean—I can’t make any promises, but it’s worth a shot.” The company was always scouting for interns, and although she was younger than most candidates, she definitely made up for it in talent. If he snuck her portfolio on Gabriel’s desk a few times, he was bound to notice eventually. 

Marinette’s eyes practically doubled in size. In one swift move, she shoved the paper plate off the bench and slid to him. 

_“Thank you,”_ she whispered fervently as she pulled him into her arms.

The embrace caught him completely off guard.

Adrien’s whole body stiffened, with his inability to process leaving him motionless. He blinked and peered down, unsure how to react. 

His shock did not go unnoticed. Marinette loosened her grasp and slowly looked up to make eye contact. Upon witnessing his reaction, her expression slowly transitioned from joy to pure horror. 

It took his brain a few seconds to get up to speed with the situation. Thankfully, just as she was about to move away, he managed to wrap his arms around her and pull her in. Adrien pressed her body to his and gently settled his chin atop her head. 

Marinette slowly relaxed her shoulders and eased her quick breaths, eventually leaning into his embrace.

They stayed like that in silence. A comfortable silence.

It suddenly dawned upon him…he hadn’t been hugged like that in quite awhile. Describing it as nice would be an understatement.

She eventually pulled away, much to his dismay.

“Anyway.” Marinette spoke, clearing her throat, “It’s my turn to ask a question.”

“Is it now?” he raised a brow in amusement.

“Isn’t that how the game goes?” she countered with a look, “Or are you changing the rules again?”

“Actually, I never changed the rules,” he disagreed, “Only added them.”

“To rig the game.” Marinette crossed her arms and leaned against the bench.

He snorted, “Only to close your loopholes.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she replied saltily while pursing her lips.

Adrien turned to fully face her, resting his elbow on the top of the bench. “It doesn’t seem like you actually have a question.” he taunted jokingly.

“I never said I did. I just said it was my turn.”

“Oh, I see. So you’re out of ideas then.”

“Am not.”

“Do you need my help?” he asked, waggling his brows.

“Definitely not.” she replied, wrinkling her nose, “I have plenty of ideas.”

“Like?”

“Patience.”

“What about patience?”

“It’s a virtue you don’t have.” she responded flatly, before casting her gaze out onto the water. Marinette drummed her fingers against the bench in quiet contemplation.

He poked her shoulder just seconds later, “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“Maybe you can ask why I’m so cool?” he offered cheekily.

She scoffed, “Cool? As if.”

“Or maybe about my dashing good looks?” he added, flexing his arm jokingly.

She mouthed a silent ‘oh my god’ with a head shake, clearly unimpressed by the display.

He snickered, giving her another flex, “It’s ok, we all get a little overwhelmed by idols.”

“Fine _Mr._ _Dashing Good Looks_ , enlighten me then, what’s it like being a celebrity?” she asked sarcastically.

Adrien hummed, taking her question seriously, despite the delivery. 

“There are pros and cons…but it’s not as great as everyone makes it out to be.” he answered with a shrug.

His response was met with silence. The candor of his answer was seemingly unexpected.

“What do you mean?” her brow furrowed curiously.

“Well…” Adrien gently tapped the top of the bench, her gaze trained on him, “…for starters your privacy is out the window. I mean, you got a small taste of that today.” he noted, referencing their chase from earlier. Part of him still felt guilty over the fact she had to endure it on his behalf. He just hoped they got away in time. In any case, he would find out soon enough.

Marinette’s features softened as she went quiet. 

“Is…it usually that bad?” she asked with a look of concern.

He offered another shrug, “It’s a mixed bag. Sometimes it’s better…other times not so much. All depends on how dry the news cycle is. There’s a bit of a hierarchy—actors and actresses at the top, then singers and musicians, then models.” he listed, before pausing. 

“…Paris isn’t exactly known for its movie industry, so people in the fashion world do get more press here than they would in other places.” His explanation didn’t seem to ease her as intended.

“It’s ok, though.” Adrien assured with a gesture, “My parents are famous, so I’ve dealt with it for a long time. Honestly, the headlines can be pretty hilarious.” he chuckled, before lowering his voice, “Sometimes I’ll drop anonymous messages with an ‘insider scoop’—like my father is secretly bald and only wears wigs made out of chinchilla fur.”

Marinette clasped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggles. Unfortunately, in doing so she managed to make him laugh, which worsened her composure.

“I’m sure he _loved_ that.” she managed between giggles. They both laughed for another minute before calming down.

“He was thrilled.” Adrien agreed sarcastically, “Poor Nathalie didn’t hear the end of it.” Not that her job was easy the rest of the time. His father was _not_ the most understanding employer. Dissatisfy him in any way and you could count yourself out of a job, “At least she got a kick out of it too.” 

“I can’t say whatever I want either.” he added, “ _Everyone_ will know. If they take something out of context, it could reflect badly on the brand.” It was exhausting really, constantly having to monitor his words and actions. Unfortunately there was no alternative.

Adrien sucked in a breath of air, “I feel bad for complaining though. My first world problems are nothing compared to what some people have to deal with. I have a lot of opportunities others don’t.”

In his mind, he had no right to complain—not with all the luxuries available to him. Christ, his room was the size of an apartment. Maybe even bigger. Any issues he had felt insignificant in comparison to the rest of the world.

Marinette’s expression shifted. She fell quiet, letting her gaze flow with the Seine.

“Adrien…” she eventually cut through the silence, “You’re right…most of us don’t have the problems you have. Maybe they’re easier to bear than others…” 

She turned to meet his gaze, “…but that doesn’t change the fact they still affect you. Even _my_ problems seem silly if you compare them to someone who’s struggling to make ends meet…” she was right in that regard.

“That doesn’t change the fact your problems are there and valid.” she smiled softly, “They’re just different—and you recognize that. That’s the important part.”

Her words left a lump in his throat. They were so…foreign. Nobody said things like that to him. Nobody took the time to _actually_ listen to him. To ask how he felt.

“And I’ll always be here to listen…” Marinette bit her lip, tearing her eyes from his, “I-if you want, of course…” she added nervously, still not looking at him. Her eyes trained on her own feet, shuffling on the cobbled path. “I-I’m sure you have plenty of people to…” her voice quietly trailed off before finishing the sentence, which couldn’t be further from the truth. 

In reality…there weren’t many people who could lend an ear. His father was never available, Plagg couldn’t understand most of his problems, Nino was banned from the Agreste property, there was Ladybug…but he couldn’t really disclose information about his life to her, so it was another dead end.

So just having someone to listen…meant a lot. Her offer touched him.

“Thanks Marinette…I really appreciate it.” That was a bit of an understatement. Nevertheless, it elicited a small smile from her, which warmed him.

“…and if you need someone…to listen…I’m here too,” he spoke solemnly with a smile. He really meant it, it was the least he could do in return. Speaking of which…

“Hey—” Adrien remarked all of a sudden, “Are you like…ok?” he asked, internally cringing at how awkward the sentence came out. He wanted to bring up the subject eventually, it was just a question of how and when. Considering the discussion at hand, it seemed like an opportune moment.

Marinette reacted with a puzzled look, letting the question sink in. It was clear once it had, as there was a subtle change in her expression. She seemed to understand its implication…but chose to respond otherwise.

“What do you mean?”

He watched her hands fidget with nerves, “Is there anything wrong?”

“I’m fine.” she replied, masking her lie poorly.

“…You didn’t look fine this morning.” he frowned, recalling how troubled she appeared earlier. It had gotten better over the course of the day, but a hint remained noticeable. 

Marinette bit her lip again, presumably a nervous tick. “I didn’t get enough sleep…” she admitted, though it only felt like part of the truth.

“Is that…it? What happened?” Adrien attempted again. It was like navigating uncharted waters—a first. The approach to take wasn’t clear. The last thing he wanted was to overstep his bounds.

“Um…” she swallowed hesitantly before glancing up, “I just…” her uncomfortable fidgeting only got worse, which was a red flag.

“Don’t worry about it, Marinette.” he interrupted, suddenly changing course and reeling the questions back in, “It’s ok if you don’t want to talk to me. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable—”

“No!” she squeaked, startling them both, “I mean! N-no…it’s ok…I do feel comfortable…” she assured, unconvincingly. It left him rather skeptical.

“I just…” her eyes darted to the side while she tapped her pointer fingers together, “…don’t know how to properly explain it.” she finished, looking back at him, “I want to tell you…I really do…I just…” her voice trailed off again, but something in her gaze felt steadfast. 

He nodded in understanding, “That’s ok, Marinette. You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” he affirmed reassuringly.

She held his gaze, then looked away with a sigh—seemingly disappointed because he didn’t get it. Was he reading the signals wrong? He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I…” Marinette spoke slowly, concentrating on each word, “…had a fight.” she made out eventually.

“…A fight?” he raised a brow curiously, “With Alya?”

She shook her head, “No, not with Alya.” 

“So, a different friend?” he suggested, unsure as to what she was inferring.

“Yeah…you could say that.” she agreed with a nod, “He’s more of a coworker…but we’re friends too.”

“I’m guessing you work together at the bakery? What’s his name?” Adrien questioned. He couldn’t recall any employees other than the Dupain-Chengs working for the family business, but then again he didn’t go enough to confidently say so.

“Y-yeah…we work together at the bakery. His name is—” Marinette paused momentarily, knitting her brows together, “—Claude. His name is Claude.” she nodded again. Something about the way she spoke felt off, but maybe he was reading too much into it.

“What did you two fight about?” Adrien pressed curiously.

“Well…” she paused again, averting his gaze, “…I guess the bakery caught on fire.”

“What!?” his eyes widened in shock. This was complete news to him. How could she forget to mention something like that? “A-are you ok!? Did anything—”

“I’m fine!” Marinette cut in with a gesture. She swallowed before lowering her voice, “The bakery is fine too. Nothing happened. It…almost burned…but everything is ok now.”

His lips fell into a slight frown.

“I got mad because of the fire…and I blamed him for it.” her voice echoed with regret. Whatever happened was still taking its toll on her.

“Did he start the fire?” Adrien went on tentatively, trying not to reopen any healing wounds.

Marinette slowly exhaled, “…No. He didn’t start the fire…we were both working when it happened so…there’s plenty of blame to go around.” she shook her head, “But he didn’t do anything wrong—it all happened really fast and… ” she mumbled the rest of the sentence, rendering it completely unintelligible. 

“…that doesn’t change what I said though.” she finished audibly.

“Wait—what?” he interjected in confusion. Whatever she was referring to went completely amiss.

Marinette’s eyes met his, “A-ah…sorry.” she apologized, “We fought about…how to put out the fire.”

_How to put out a fire?_ What kind of answer was that?

“This might be a dumb question but…” he paused, “…does it really matter _how_ you put out a fire? I mean, I’ve never dealt with one before, but I think the priority would be to just…put it out any way you can, right?” he mused, eyeing her with a curious look. She blinked, absorbing each word. “That, or like, get out of the building as fast as possible.”

Something he said seemed to resonate with her, as to what specifically, it wasn’t clear. Unfortunately, giving advice wasn’t his strong suit.

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” she agreed with a slow nod. Marinette tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and wordlessly watched the river.

Truth be told, her explanations clarified absolutely nothing. He felt more confused now than before the conversation started. Was she mad about the fire? Was she mad at her friend? Someone needed to draw him a diagram.

“Have you seen him since the fire?”

She wordlessly turned to him.

“No.” 

“Oh. Are you still mad then?”

She shook her head.

“Ok…I’m sorry Marinette,” Adrien shook his head, “I don’t see the problem. Everything seems o—” 

“No, Adrien. Everything is _not_ ok.” she rebuked harshly, “I-I got mad at him…”

“…and said _terrible_ things.” 

Her voice began to quiver, which only added to his mounting concern. “He was just trying to help—a-and I lashed out—”

“ _Hey—_ hey, Marinette, it’s ok,” he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her body was shaking—weighed down by the stress of the situation. In fact, it was starting to eat at him as well. He didn’t like seeing her like this. It felt wrong. It made his insides twist. He yearned to help her, but couldn’t—he just didn’t know _how_. It frustrated him to no end.

The temptation to wrap his arms around and hold her was becoming increasingly difficult to resist.

That train of thought was cut short as Marinette shrugged his hand off her shoulder. She turned away from him, taking a few minutes of reprieve.

“…I’m sorry about all of this, Adrien.”

After a few deep breaths, Marinette turned back to fully face him. Any signs of turmoil were now completely scrubbed from her face. Her expression was left blank, one he was all too familiar with. One reflected back to him on a daily basis. 

Adrien let out a soft sigh and exchanged glances with her, “Marinette, there’s nothing to be sorry about. I asked you what was up.” Looking back in hindsight, that was probably a mistake. Not because he didn’t want to hear from her, but because it seemed to upset her more, which was the exact opposite of what was trying to do in the first place.

“Look, I don’t really get what happened…and I don’t know Claude,” he began gently, “but from what you told me, it sounded like a really stressful situation. Sometimes things slip—things we don’t actually mean. They just completely bypass the filter,” he gestured in a swishing motion, “and before you know it, they’re out and we instantly regret it. Even I do it sometimes.” 

Her lips fell into a slight frown, “…Someone said the same thing earlier.”

“Well, they’re right. I don’t know about Claude, but I couldn’t hold stuff like that against a friend. Knowing _you_ , I would be shocked if he did.” how anyone could actually stay mad at Marinette was beyond him.

“I’m…in a bit of a rough patch too…with a friend.”

This new information seemed to pique her interest, which gave him pause. Maybe that was what she needed to hear. To be comforted, to know she was not alone. Normally, he would avoid the subject of his double life, given he had the tendency to let things slip. Even if he had someone to talk to, there was too much risk involved with dancing around the subject.

“What happened?”

“Well…” he spoke slowly, carefully considering his words for once, “The last time we talked…it didn’t end on a high note.” he swallowed, “It got…a bit intense. We had an issue and I got mad at how sh—they handled it. Not my best moment.” he said with the aftertaste of regret. Adrien looked at Marinette, trying to gauge her response. Unsurprisingly, to no avail.

“A-anyway—” he coughed awkwardly, tip-toeing around the matter, “Things were said, but I’m not mad at h—them. I don’t know about the other way around, but I hope we can work things out.” he finished with a sigh.

They exchanged glances, letting the awkward silence hang over them.

“Look…” his spoke softly, still meeting her gaze, “Claude will forgive you. Things will work themselves out.”

 “How do you know that?” she whispered back, blinking rapidly.

“You made a mistake. I _know_ you didn’t mean it.” Adrien replied confidently. 

“You can’t say that, Adrien. You weren’t there, how could you possibly know?” Marinette rebuked, still unconvinced by his logic.

“Because I know what kind of person you are—and if Claude really is a friend, he does too.” he smiled gently at her. She held his gaze unwaveringly, carefully taking in each word.

“I promise.”

Another minute of silence passed before Marinette shifted. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled.

“Thank you…Adrien.”

“All in a day’s work.” he flashed her a grin, eliciting a small smile in return. The tension throughout her body relaxed all at once—as if someone had snipped the strings holding her in suspension. He was content to help in any way possible, even if he couldn’t completely ease the stress.

Marinette reached on the other side of the bench, grabbing ahold her satchel. She clicked the clasp open and began rummaging around, eventually retrieving her phone. 

She frowned moments later.

“What’s wrong?” he glanced over curiously.

“…My phone is dead.” she replied, evidently displeased by the fact, “Do you know what time it is?”

He fished his own phone out and turned it on.

“12:45.” he read aloud, glancing back at her. All color had completely drained from her face, as if she spotted the grim reaper walking their way. “Marinette?”

She snapped out of shock and yanked her satchel over her shoulder.

“Woah!? Everything ok?” Adrien exclaimed, somewhat startled by the sudden shift.

“I-I-I—” Marinette stuttered in response, quickly standing up. “I’m so sorry Adrien! I—argh—I’m _late_.” she panicked, slowly moving away from the bench. “My parents—bakery thing! I-I gotta go!”she began walking faster, eventually breaking into a jog up the steps to the street above. “Bye Adrien!”

“Wait!” Adrien hollered, suddenly standing up as well. Marinette froze and turned around, looking at him expectantly. He blanked, having absolutely no clue as to why he got her attention. What was he supposed to say?

He didn’t want her to leave.

“Uh—see you tomorrow!?” he called out. Marinette smiled in response, giving him a small nod.

And with that final gesture, she disappeared into the bustling city above.

 

  

➸

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear on my life this was planned before the release of "Gorizilla"--'twas I who was ripped off.
> 
> Regardless! I hope you enjoy the chapter. My goal is to get the next one out by the end of the month...fingers crossed. ene
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! I love reading them and they're very motivating.


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